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What's the story?
The Indian Men's Senior Football team has dropped one spot to return to number Ninety-seven (97) in the latest FIFA World Rankings. Moreover, they are also ranked Fifteenth in Asia as things stand.
In case you didn't know...
FIFA has decided to switch to a modified version of the ELO system to rank teams recently. The system included several variables, such as the level of competition, the margin of victory, the importance of a match and so on to calculate points and subsequently rank teams.
The heart of the matter
The FIFA World rankings for the month of September are out, with the Blue Tigers slipping down one position. They are now ranked Ninety-seventh (97) on the table, as compared to last month when they were Ninety-sixth (96).
The cause for their slip-up can be attributed towards the lack of matches during the last month or so. The one tournament of which the Indian team was a part of- SAFF Cup- will contribute towards the rankings next month.
The Indian team, meanwhile, will continue its run in the Top 100 for the seventh-straight month. However, they have yet to match or better their best-ever ranking of Ninety-four (94) during this period.
Furthermore, according to the rankings, India is the Fifteenth best team in Asia. They rank ahead of their AFC Cup group members, Thailand and Bahrain, but are twenty places behind UAE.
Elsewhere, September rankings have seen two teams- France and Belgium- share the top spot, while, Brazil, Croatia, Uruguay, England, Portugal, Switzerland, Spain, and Denmark complete the Top 10.
What's next?
The Blue Tigers may not have any fixtures lined up in the near future. As it stands, they will face only China in this calendar year in a friendly match; before heading out to UAE early next year for the AFC Cup.
Will India improve their ranking when the next batch is out? Or will they fall further behind? Do let us know in the comments below.
