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Indian men’s football team suffered heavily in the latest updated FIFA rankings as they slid to the 121st spot after their disappointing loss over Afghanistan in the FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifiers. Meanwhile, Afghanistan is ranked at 151st position.
Although India started on a promising note in the qualifier, Afghanistan’s impressive performance led them to a strong comeback with a 2-1 win. This dashed India’s hopes and dealt a significant blow to their prospects of qualifying for the World Cup.
This particular match witnessed Sunil Chhetri making his 150th international appearance. The legendary attacker started off the game with an opening goal in the 38th minute, helping India with an early lead.
Nevertheless, Afghanistan made an impressive comeback in the second half to score an equalizer in the 70th minute. Midfielder Rahmat Akbari was the player who turned the game upside down. Later Sharif Muhammad’s penalty in the last moments of the game helped the visitors to grab an improbable win.
This defeat not only influenced India's position in the group stage of the World Cup qualifiers but also directly impacted their FIFA ranking. Falling four spots to the 121st rank, this new ranking represents the lowest in recent years, highlighting the necessity for introspection and strategic changes within the team and its management.
Blue Tigers need to regroup ahead of their second-round
Unfortunately, India also suffered a significant setback in the AFC Asian Cup in January 2024 where they made an exit in the campaign as the only team not to score a goal.
They finished at the last spot with three consecutive losses, conceding six goals. They started their campaign with a 0-1 loss over Syria. Later, lost to Uzbekistan by 0-3 and Australia by 0-2.
The team must regroup, reassess their strategies, and return stronger ahead of their final two matches in the second round of the FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifying campaign against Kuwait and Qatar in June 2024.
Although the road ahead for the side is daunting, the Blue Tigers would be hoping to climb back up in the rankings and keep their World Cup dreams alive with determination and the right approach.
