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<p data-start="62" data-end="338"><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; font-size: 12pt;">The Indian men&rsquo;s football team has dropped to 133rd in the latest FIFA rankings, marking its lowest position since 2016. The six-spot slide follows back-to-back defeats in June &mdash; a 0-2 loss to Thailand in a friendly and a 0-1 upset against Hong Kong in an Asian Cup qualifier.</span></p>
<p data-start="340" data-end="625"><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; font-size: 12pt;">The disappointing run of form led to the departure of head coach Manolo Marquez, who parted ways with the All India Football Federation (AIFF). India had last fallen below this mark in December 2016, when it stood at 135. The team&rsquo;s best-ever ranking was 94, achieved in February 1996.</span></p>
<p data-start="627" data-end="816"><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; font-size: 12pt;">India now has 1113.22 rating points, down from 1132.03, and ranks 24th out of 47 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) member nations. Japan remains the top-ranked Asian team at 17th globally.</span></p>
<p data-start="818" data-end="1035"><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; font-size: 12pt;">So far in 2025, India has played four matches &mdash; one win, one draw, and two losses. Under Marquez&rsquo;s brief tenure, the team recorded just one win in their last eight games, a solitary victory over the Maldives in March.</span></p>
<p data-start="1037" data-end="1220"><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; font-size: 12pt;">In an attempt to revive the team&rsquo;s fortunes, legendary striker and former captain Sunil Chhetri was recalled to the squad. However, the comeback has yet to produce the desired impact.</span></p>
<p data-start="1222" data-end="1434"><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; font-size: 12pt;">India&rsquo;s next international fixture is scheduled for October, when they face Singapore away in the third round of Asian Cup qualifiers. With qualification hopes hanging by a thread, the team faces an uphill climb.</span></p>
<p data-start="1436" data-end="1728" data-is-last-node="" data-is-only-node=""><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; font-size: 12pt;">At the top of the FIFA rankings, reigning world champions Argentina continue to lead, followed by Spain, France, England, Brazil, Portugal, the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, and Croatia. Costa Rica recorded the biggest jump with a 14-place rise, while Honduras earned the most rating points.</span><br><br><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; font-size: 12pt;">[Except for the headline, this article has not been edited by the Benefit News editorial team and is published directly from the IANS news feed]</span></p>
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India's football team slips to its worst FIFA rank since 2016 after losses to Thailand and Hong Kong

India Drops to 133 in FIFA Rankings, 9-Year Low

India's football team slips to its worst FIFA rank since 2016 after losses to Thailand and Hong Kong

July 10, 2025 | 19:28 IST