What’s the story?
The Indian national football team are all set to reach their best ranking since 1996. The Blue Tigers are speculated to end up at 98 this upcoming month. This will be their highest position in the 21st century.
The context
India are currently ranked 100th in the FIFA/Coca-Cola World Rankings. Romanian stats expert Eduard Ranghiuc, took to the reliable FootballRankingsInfo, to predict that India would reach their highest ranking after what would be 21 years and 5 months.
The heart of the matter
The Blue Tigers jumped into the top 100 of the FIFA rankings in May and have consistently held on to that position for the last two months. From 132 in March to an astounding 98 in July is a huge leap, and the team seem to be slowly paving their way forward.
India played against Nepal and Kyrgyzstan earlier this month and won both matches. Their 1-0 win against Kyrgyzstan proved to be an important one since it was a continental qualifier for the AFC Asian Cup. Their wins in their June fixtures too helped them climb up the ladder in the rankings.
The Indian team currently share the 100th spot with Kazakhstan and Nicaragua and are expected to surpass both countries to make it to the 98th rank. They will also leapfrog Estonia, who currently sit in the 98th spot in the FIFA/Coca-Cola World Rankings.
What’s next?
The team’s performances in the upcoming matches will further influence their ranking, which is heading in only one direction at the moment. India take to the pitch in September, facing off against Macau in a continental qualifier. Macau are currently ranked 184 but India cannot afford to take things lightly. The Blue Tigers have won 13 of their last 15 matches and should look to continue this win streak.
FIFA will publish the updated rankings list on the 6th of July.
Author’s take
It is safe to say that the Indian national football team are making the country proud with their performances on the pitch. Breaking the top 100 barrier is no mean feat and things are looking good for the future of Indian football.
