FIFA Rankings: India make positive jump in October's rankings

The FIFA rankings are out for October and see India earn a two-place upgrade from their September's rankings. The Blue Tigers were ranked 107th in September and have now jumped to 105th in the latest rankings, courtesy of their win over Macau in the AFC Asian Cup 2019 qualifiers.

This is among India's lowest FIFA rankings this year as the Blue Tigers managed to feature inside the FIFA top 100 for four straight months. They fell below the 100-mark in September when they were ranked 107th but have now improved to be stood at 105th.

With 328 ranking points, India are ahead of the likes of Niger, Georgia, New Zealand and Korea DPR, while they are behind Lebanon, Mauritania, Kenya, Madagascar and Zimbabwe in terms of countries outside the top 100.

The 4-1 win over Macau on 11th October saw the Blue Tigers qualify for the 2019 AFC Asian Cup in the UAE and that has certainly helped the cause of Stephen Constantine's charges.

At the top end of the table, there has been no change in the top 6 with Germany, Brazil, Portugal, Argentina, Belgium and Poland leading the way, while Spain entered the top 10 in time for December's FIFA World Cup 2018 draw, for which October's rankings will be considered.

India next face Myanmar in an AFC Asian Cup 2019 qualifier on 14th November - during the next international break - a match that retains only an academic interest for the Blue Tigers. India have already qualified for 2019's big event and their next two matches against Myanmar and the Kyrgyz Republic will be opportunities for Constantine to test his team's bench strength.

The Blue Tigers haven't lost a match since 2016 and their strong recent form has seen them break into the FIFA top 100 in recent months. However, their forays into the top 100 proved to be limited as October is the second straight month Constantine's men find themselves out of the top 100.

The next set of FIFA rankings will be published on 23rd November and all the results from November's international break will be considered. India will still stand a chance to end the year inside the top 100 provided results elsewhere go their way and they beat Myanmar in their upcoming game.