In an upsetting development for Indian football fans, the Indian football team has fallen to 102nd place in the latest FIFA rankings. As a result, they have dropped five places from their prior rank of 99th. This drop is the result of two poor performances in the King’s Cup. India suffered a sad semi-final loss to Iraq before falling short against Lebanon in the third-place playoff.
After a 2-2 draw in regulation time, India was defeated on penalties by Iraq in the semi-finals of the King’s Cup in Thailand. In the third-place play-off, they were defeated 0-1 by Lebanon.
Igor Stimac’s boys had an impressive 2023 up until the King’s Cup, led by Sunil Chhetri. Previously, they hosted and won three tournaments, including the SAFF Championship for the eighth time.
It enabled India to break into the top 100 FIFA rankings for the first time since 2018. The Merdeka Cup in Malaysia will be their next task, followed by the FIFA World Cup qualifiers in November.
Stimac’s team will then compete in the AFC Asian Cup in January, along with Australia, Uzbekistan, and Syria. They are now rated 19th in Asia, with Japan occupying the 19th position.
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