India slides 15 places to 117th rank in FIFA Rankings following Asian Cup debacle; hit 7-year low

India's football team faces a sharp decline in FIFA rankings following dismal performance in the AFC Asian Cup, while other nations experience notable shifts amidst continental championships.

India's football team plummeted 15 spots to 117th in the FIFA rankings, marking its lowest position in seven years following a disappointing performance in the AFC Asian Cup, where it suffered defeats in all three group matches. This decline represents India's worst ranking since January 2017 when it held the 129th spot, although its historical lowest position was 173 in 2015. In the previous FIFA rankings released on December 21, 2023, India was positioned at 102nd place.

India's football team also saw a significant drop of 35.63 rating points from its previous total, now positioned between Togo (116th) and Guinea-Bissau (118th). Within Asia, India ranks 22nd among nations.

Under Igor Stimac's leadership, India concluded their Asian Cup campaign in January without scoring a point or goal, suffering defeats to Australia (0-2), Uzbekistan (0-3), and Syria (0-1), ultimately finishing at the bottom of Group B.

The primary movements in the FIFA rankings were observed among Asian and African countries, coinciding with their continental championships. Notably, there were no changes in the top 10, with world champion Argentina maintaining its lead.

Following Argentina, France, England, Belgium, and Brazil trail in that sequence.

Asian Cup champions Qatar experienced a significant rise of 21 places to secure the 37th position, while Japan, despite dropping one spot to 18th, remains the leader in the continental rankings. Surprise runners-up of the Asian Cup, Jordan, climbed 17 places to claim the 70th spot in the rankings.