New Delhi: The Indian men's football team has slipped to its lowest FIFA ranking in nine years, falling six spots to 133rd in the latest update released on Thursday. The drop comes after back-to-back defeats in June - a 0-2 loss to Thailand in a friendly on June 4, followed by a 0-1 defeat to lower-ranked Hong Kong in an Asian Cup qualifier. 

These results also led to head coach Manolo Marquez parting ways with the All India Football Federation (AIFF). India last ranked lower in December 2016, when it stood at 135. The team's all-time best ranking remains 94, achieved in February 1996.

India now has 1113.22 rating points, down from 1132.03, and stands 24th among 46 Asian nations, with Japan leading the continent at 17th in the global rankings. It's been a rough stretch for the Indian men's team, with the recent loss to Hong Kong severely denting their hopes of qualifying for the 2027 Asian Cup. 

Among the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) members, India is ranked 24th among 47 member associations. 

Under head coach Manolo Marquez, the team managed just one win in their last eight outings - a victory over the Maldives in March. In 2025 so far, India has played four matches, recording one win, one draw, and two defeats.

The string of poor results led to the return of legendary striker and former captain Sunil Chhetri to the squad, but his comeback has done little to change the team’s fortunes. 

India’s next international fixture is an away match against Singapore in October, as part of the third round of the Asian Cup qualifiers. 

Meanwhile, reigning World Champion Argentina tops the FIFA rankings among 210 nations, followed by Spain, France, England, Brazil, Portugal, the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, and Croatia, in that order, to complete the top 10.

Costa Rica is the biggest climber in the rankings with a 14-place jump, while Honduras gained the most points.(IANS)