India stays put at 124th in 2024 FIFA rankings

The Indian men's national football team remained stagnant at a disappointing 124th place in the latest FIFA rankings released on Thursday. This comes despite reigning champions Argentina solidifying their lead position following their Copa America victory.

India's ranking reflects a continued downward trend since December 2023.  After reaching a historic high of 99th last year, the team has been on a downward spiral, failing to qualify for the crucial third round of the 2026 World Cup Qualifiers.

The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) rankings offer even bleaker news for India. The team remains 22nd, trailing nations like Lebanon, Palestine, and Vietnam.

Meanwhile, Argentina (1st) further cemented its dominance at the top of the FIFA table after successfully defending its Copa America title. France (2nd) holds onto the second spot after a strong showing in the EURO 2024 semifinals.

The biggest shake-up comes from Spain (3rd), the newly crowned European champions. Their victory propelled them a significant five places into the top three, pushing England (4th) down a notch despite their own impressive run to the EURO 2024 final. Brazil (5th) slipped one place with this reshuffling.

Belgium (6th) finds itself outside the top five for the first time in recent memory, followed by the Netherlands (7th) and Portugal (8th). Colombia (9th) offers a glimmer of hope for South American teams, climbing three spots despite their Copa America final defeat to Argentina.

Italy rounds out the top ten at 10th place.