India rises two spots up to 104th in FIFA Men s World Rankings Notifications New User posted their first comment this is comment text Approve Reject & ban Delete Logout

India rises two spots up to 104th in FIFA Men s World Rankings

India registered three consecutive victories in the AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers. (Image Courtesy: AIFF Media) After a stellar run in the AFC Asian Cup 2023 Qualifiers, the climbed two spots to reach the 104th position in the FIFA world rankings. The updated rankings, which were updated on June 23, see the Blue Tigers neatly slotted in between Madagascar (105) and New Zealand (103). and Co. went on a winning streak in the final round of the qualifiers in Kolkata. India defeated Cambodia 2-0 in their first game, then grabbed a late winner against Afghanistan before thumping Hong Kong 4-0 in the final game. Not only did head coach Igor Stimac's men secure a berth in the main tournament, but they have also improved their position in the rankings. We rise together! ?

We rise together! ? Although their overall ranking has improved, India are still 19th among the members of the Asian Football Confederation. Iran, 23rd in the world, topped the AFC charts. The closest AFC nation to India in the rankings is Lebanon in the 100th spot, followed by Tajikistan in the 108th spot. Among the other nations, Argentina moved into the third spot ahead of France while Italy fell to third after failing to qualify for the . Brazil are still the numero uno while Belgium remain in second place.

The Blue Tigers are looking sharp on the pitch

Luckily for the Indian team, the rise in ranks has been replicated by the performances of the side on the pitch. Before going into the qualifiers, the side suffered three defeats on the trot in friendlies. Bahrain handed the Blue Tigers a 1-2 defeat while Belarus thrashed them 0-3 and Jordan dished out a 0-2 loss. With days remaining for the qualifiers, tensions were running high. However, once the ball was rolled inside the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Stadium, the hosts seemed like an inspired bunch. Led by a brace from Sunil Chhetri, India walked past Cambodia in the opening game. Their next opponents, Afghanistan, were touted as the toughest challengers in Group D. India needed a late equalizer from Sahal Abdul Samad to down the Lions of Khorasan. By the final game against Hong Kong, India had already qualified for the continental competition but put on their finest display. Scoring four goals past the in-form Hong Kong side, the Blue Tigers took the top spot in Group D. Poll : 0 votes Quick Links More from Sportskeeda Thank You! Show More Comments No thanks Delete Cancel Update Reply ❮ ❯ No thanks Delete Cancel Update Reply ❮ ❯ Be the first one to comment on this story More from Sportskeeda Fetching more content... 1 Logout No Results Found