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What's the story?
The Indian national football team could reach an all-time highest FIFA ranking of 94th next month when the rankings for August will be released.
According to reliable stats guru Eduard Ranghiuc, who runs simulations taking into account results of all FIFA-recognised national matches in a given month as well as past results.
With the CONCACAF Gold Cup already started, a lot of movements are expected. Furthermore, results in the CHAN qualifiers and the COSAFA Cup will also have a bearing on August's rankings.
The context
India reached a 21-year high of 96 earlier this month when July's FIFA rankings were released. the Blue Tigers jumped a few places owing to their two wins in June, but since July is a month without any fixture for the Blue Tigers, India's two-place rise, at the maximum, comes as a surprise.
The heart of the matter
Ranghiuc has been predicting the FIFA rankings for quite a while now and has been fairly accurate. Last month as well, he predicted the maximum and minimum ranking India would attain in July and was bang on target.
This time out, in August, India could rise to 94 but will not fall below 99 in the FIFA rankings. Should the Blue Tigers surge up to 94th, it will be their best ever FIFA ranking, equalling the feat they achieved in 1996. However, there is also a possibility of India dropping in August.
What's next?
The next FIFA rankings will be released on 10th August. India have a packed schedule next month as the All India Football Federation's mooted Champions Cup is set to kickstart in Chennai.
Stephen Constantine's national team have won their last eight matches and clearly, deserve credit for their recent rise in the FIFA rankings ladder. Should they scale 94th in the world next month, India will be closer to the likes of Netherlands than they have been ever before.
Confederations Cup 2017 winners Germany will likely lose the top spot to Brazil next month.
Author's take
While results elsewhere could have a say in where India finish in the FIFA rankings next month, it is all but certain that the Blue Tigers will not drop below the 100-rank mark. This will mark the fourth straight month that India have spent inside the FIFA top 100, which is a unique achievement for the sport in the country.
Indian football is growing by leaps and bounds, and the national team's consistent rise in the FIFA rankings ladder is a reflection of that.
