The Indian football team recently achieved a significant milestone by reentering the top 100 in the FIFA rankings for the first time in five years. Under the leadership of Captain Sunil Chhetri, the team’s FIFA ranking improved from 101 to 100, primarily due to their impressive performances in the Intercontinental Cup 2023 and the SAFF Championship 2023.
The last time India found itself in the top 100 of the FIFA rankings was back in December 2018 when they were ranked 99th in the world. Almost five years after that brief stint in the sub-100 region, the Indian national team has once again claimed the 99th spot in the world rankings as of July 2023.
The FIFA World rankings for men were introduced in December 1992. At that inaugural ranking, the Indian football team was placed 143rd in the world.
Since then, the Indian national team has experienced numerous fluctuations in the FIFA World Rankings. Football enthusiasts in the country often wonder about India’s highest FIFA ranking, and we will take a closer look at their all-time high, as well as track their ranking journey over the years.
Indian football team’s highest FIFA ranking: India’s highest FIFA ranking to date is 94, a milestone achieved in February 1996.
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Under the guidance of former head coach Stephen Constantine, India also secured a ranking of 96th in the FIFA rankings in 2017 and 2018.
The Indian football team made significant progress during Stephen Constantine’s second stint as head coach, starting in 2015. After initially slipping to 173rd place in the FIFA rankings in 2015, the Blue Tigers made a remarkable jump to 96th place over the next two years.
Over the past five years, India has generally maintained their FIFA rankings within the range of 99 to 109.
Let’s take a detailed look at the Indian football team’s FIFA rankings for each year since 1992.
| Year | Highest Ranking | Lowest Ranking |
|---|---|---|
| 1992 | 143 | 143 |
| 1993 | 129 | 99 |
| 1994 | 113 | 101 |
| 1995 | 121 | 111 |
| 1996 | 124 | 94 |
| 1997 | 121 | 109 |
| 1998 | 127 | 110 |
| 1999 | 116 | 106 |
| 2000 | 122 | 106 |
| 2001 | 124 | 113 |
| 2002 | 130 | 120 |
| 2003 | 133 | 122 |
| 2004 | 143 | 132 |
| 2005 | 135 | 127 |
| 2006 | 157 | 117 |
| 2007 | 165 | 143 |
| 2008 | 154 | 143 |
| 2009 | 156 | 134 |
| 2010 | 160 | 130 |
| 2011 | 163 | 144 |
| 2012 | 169 | 154 |
| 2013 | 167 | 143 |
| 2014 | 171 | 145 |
| 2015 | 173 | 141 |
| 2016 | 163 | 135 |
| 2017 | 132 | 96 |
| 2018 | 102 | 96 |
| 2019 | 108 | 101 |
| 2020 | 109 | 104 |
| 2021 | 107 | 104 |
| 2022 | 106 | 104 |
| 2023 | 101 | 99 |
