India Drop 6 Places in FIFA Rankings to 103rd after Asian Cup debacle; to Get Tough Draw in World Cup Qualifiers

What's the Story?

FIFA updated its ranking table on Thursday and India dropped down six places to finish 103. Belgium are still in the numero uno position and Qatar, who won the 2019 Asian Cup, surged 38 places to sit on the 55th position.

In case you don't know..

Footy Rankings had earlier predicted that India would fall six places down on the rankings ladder after bowing out in the group stages of the Asian Cup. The Blue Tigers started the campaign on a high note, obliterating Thailand 4-1 in the opening fixture. However, Stephen Constantine and his boys succumbed 2-0 to UAE and 1-0 to Bahrain in their other group encounters.

The heart of the matter

All the countries, which reached the knockout stages of the 2019 AFC Asian Cup, have seen a rise in their rankings. Iran, who bowed out in the semi-finals, climbed 7 places whereas Japan surged 23 places. Korea Republic and India's opponent in the group stages, UAE, too rose 15 and 12 places.

Thailand and Bahrain, India's other two opponents, have climbed three and two places respectively to sit on the 115th and 111th spot. As all the Asian countries experienced a rise in their rankings, the Blue Tigers have fallen out from the top 15 in the continent. They are ranked eighteenth when only Asian countries are taken into account and this could affect India severely when the World Cup Qualifiers' draw takes place.

There is a FIFA International friendly window from 18 March to 26 March where the Blue Tigers can play friendly matches against quality oppositions and increase their rankings provided they win.

However, AIFF General Secretary Kushal Das said that the federation will not appoint a senior national team head coach until April 2019. So, India aren't expected to play friendly in the window and may face a tough draw in the FIFA World Cup Qualifiers, which is slated to begin from later this year.

Here is how the countries are ranked according to the latest FIFA update:

Rank Country

1 Belgium

2 France

3 Brazil

4 Croatia

5 England

6 Portugal

7 Uruguay

8 Switzerland

9 Spain

10 Denmark

11 Argentina

12 Colombia

13 Chile

14 Sweden

14 Netherlands

16 Germany

17 Mexico

18 Italy

19 Wales

20 Poland

20 Peru

22 Iran

23 Austria

24 Senegal

25 USA

25 Romania

27 Japan

28 Tunisia

29 Slovakia

30 Ukraine

31 Serbia

32 Venezuela

33 Paraguay

34 Republic of Ireland

35 Bosnia and Herzegovina

36 Northern Ireland

37 Costa Rica

38 Korea Republic

39 Iceland

40 Scotland

41 Turkey

42 Australia

43 Morocco

44 Czech Republic

45 Greece

46 Nigeria

46 Montenegro

48 Bulgaria

48 Norway

50 Russia

51 Congo DR

52 Hungary

52 Ghana

54 Jamaica

55 Qatar

56 Cameroon

57 Egypt

58 Ecuador

59 Finland

60 Bolivia

61 Albania

62 Burkina Faso

63 Slovenia

63 Honduras

65 Mali

66 Ivory Coast

67 United Arab Emirates

68 Guinea

69 Algeria

70 Saudi Arabia

71 FYR Macedonia

72 China PR

73 El Salvador

74 South Africa

74 Cape Verde Islands

76 Panama

77 Uganda

78 Belarus

79 Canada

80 Iraq

81 Curacao

82 Zambia

83 Syria

84 Congo

85 Lebanon

85 Gabon

87 Luxembourg

87 Cyprus

89 Uzbekistan

90 Oman

91 Georgia

92 Israel

93 Trinidad and Tobago

94 Benin

95 Kyrgyz Republic

96 Estonia

97 Faroe Islands

97 Jordan

99 Vietnam

100 Palestine

101 Mauritania

101 Armenia

103 India

103 Haiti

105 Libya

106 Kenya

107 Madagascar

108 Azerbaijan

109 Niger

110 Namibia

111 Bahrain

112 Central African Republic

113 Zimbabwe

114 Sierra Leone

115 Thailand

116 Mozambique

117 Kazakhstan

118 Guinea-Bissau

119 New Zealand

120 Tajikistan

121 Korea DPR

122 Togo

123 Philippines

124 Chinese Taipei

125 Angola

126 Antigua and Barbuda

127 Sudan

128 Nicaragua

129 Malawi

130 Kosovo

131 Latvia

132 Andorra

133 Lithuania

134 St. Kitts and Nevis

135 Rwanda

136 Turkmenistan

137 Tanzania

138 Myanmar

138 Burundi

140 Swaziland

140 Hong Kong

142 Comoros

143 Yemen

143 Solomon Islands

145 Botswana

146 Lesotho

147 Afghanistan

148 Equatorial Guinea

149 Guatemala

150 Liberia

151 Ethiopia

152 Maldives

153 Suriname

154 Dominican Republic

154 New Caledonia

156 Mauritius

157 Tahiti

158 Kuwait

159 Indonesia

160 Belize

161 Nepal

162 Barbados

163 Vanuatu

164 South Sudan

165 Singapore

166 Gambia

167 Malaysia

168 Papua New Guinea

169 Fiji

170 Moldova

171 St. Lucia

172 Cambodia

173 Grenada

174 Cuba

175 Chad

176 Bermuda

177 Guyana

178 Dominica

179 Puerto Rico

180 St.Vincent/ Grenadines

181 Liechtenstein

182 Malta

183 Macau

184 Laos

185 Sao Tome e Principe

186 Bhutan

187 Aruba

188 Mongolia

189 Seychelles

190 Cook Islands

190 American Samoa

192 Guam

192 Bangladesh

194 Gibraltar

195 Brunei Darussalam

196 Timor-Leste

197 Samoa

197 Djibouti

199 Pakistan

200 Montserrat

201 Sri Lanka

202 US Virgin Islands

203 Cayman Islands

204 Tonga

204 Somalia

204 Eritrea

207 British Virgin Islands

208 Turks and Caicos Islands

209 Anguilla

210 Bahamas

211 San Marino