Indian football team could reach highest ever FIFA ranking with win over Kyrgyz Republic

What's the story?

The Indian football team has experienced a brilliant rise over the last few years, as they have climbed from the 170s in the FIFA rankings to the top 100s yet again.

Now, the Blue Tigers actually have the opportunity to climb further and could even shut up to as far as the 80th spot, if they beat the Kyrgyz Republic in their last 2019AFC Asian Cup Qualifier, and if other international results go their way.

In case you didn't know...

The Indian football team has been on an unbeaten run since 2016, winning 13 international matches on the trot. The fine run that they have produced saw them book their spot in the 2019 AFC Asian Cup, with one match yet to go.

The Heart of the matter

India are set to play their last World Cup qualifier away at Kyrgyz Republic on March 27. Sinch the Blue Tigers have already qualified for the tournament, the match later this month is set to be more of a dead rubber.

However, India have all the incentives to try and win the match, as a victory against the Kyrgyz Republic could propel them exponentially in the FIFA rankings.

The Kyrgyz Republic are ranked 115th, which essentially means that India will get 85 points. To add to that, a win gives a multiple of three, which will be further multiplied by 2.5, as this is a qualifier.

Hence, a victory in the Kyrgyz Republic, coupled with favourable results could see India shoot up to as high as 80 on the FIFA rankings. This would be the highest ranking that the Indian football team has ever attained.

However, the ranking may vary, as it also depends on the results of other matches in the International Window at that time.

What's next?

Many Indian players have tried their hand at British clubs, but the one thing that has prevented them from going there are the strict work permit laws, which generally does not allow players from countries ranked below 70 to play in the United Kingdom.

However, if India can get to 80, it will be only 10 spots away from the coveted top 70s, which would open up a whole new opportunity for the Indian players.

Author's take

India's high raking could also help them get an easier draw in the 2019 AFC Asian Cup, which would allow them to progress further in the tournament, something that every Indian football team fan would love to see.