In the FIFA rankings released recently, the Indian men’s national football team dropped down three places  to 12th in the list after it failed to qualify for the third round of the 2026 World Cup Qualifiers after losses to Qatar and Afghanistan.

• In Asia, India remained in the 22nd position, behind the likes of Lebanon, Palestine, and Vietnam.
•  Argentina (1st) remained at the top of the table.
• Newly crowned European champion Spain (3rd, up 5 places) has yet more reason to celebrate after hauling itself into the top three of the ranking.