AIFF President Kalyan Chaubey Blames India's FIFA Ranking Decline To 'Complex' Nature Of System
All India Football Federation (AIFF) President Kalyan Chaubey has attributed the national men's team's recent slide in the FIFA world rankings to the 'complex and fluctuating" nature of the system, while expressing optimism that results against higher-ranked opponents could spark a revival.
India slumped to its lowest position in nine years, falling six spots to 133rd in the latest FIFA rankings released on July 10.
'FIFA ranking is based on the historical performance of a national team in international matches played in preceding years. It is determined using the Elo Model," Chaubey explained.
'This method adds or subtracts points for matches to or from a team's existing total point."
He noted that the formula inherently creates year-on-year volatility. 'It depends on the number of matches the team plays and the ranking of the opponent. In 2023, we moved to 99 from 106 when I took charge, and now in 2025, from 99 we have gone down to 133."
From Highs in 2023 to Decline in 2024–25
India's rise in 2023 was built on three tournament victories, which helped them break into the top 100 at 99th place in the July rankings. However, the slide began soon after. The team dropped to 102nd in December 2023 before falling further to 117th following group-stage defeats to Australia, Uzbekistan, and Syria at the AFC Asian Cup in January 2024.
'The losses against very strong teams like Australia and Uzbekistan in the Asian Cup led to the national team losing a lot of places in the rankings," Chaubey said.
Post-Asian Cup form offered little recovery: five losses in 12 matches, including one against reigning Asian champions Qatar, alongside one win and six draws. 'Of course, the less-than-satisfactory performance in subsequent matches did not help the team but it was not that bad," Chaubey reflected.
'I am hoping that the team will rise again if it does well in the CAFA Nations Cup and the remaining Asian Cup qualifying round matches."
Chaubey, a former India goalkeeper, pointed out that India's FIFA journey began near the bottom.
'FIFA first published its ranking in December 1992, and India was ranked 143rd out of 211 member countries. Thereafter, India went down to 173 in 2015, and then rose to 97 in 2018. India's best ranking was 94 in February 1996, much before the NFL kicked off."
Chaubey acknowledged that the popularity and growth of club football in India has not translated into national team success.
'Over the last decade, Indian football has seen remarkable progress, including the upliftment of stadium infrastructure, improvement in club professionalism and quality of play, enhanced logistical support for players with better pay scales, and world-class broadcasting—making ISL one of the most viewed leagues in Asia," he said.
However, he stressed that most investment has flowed into club football rather than directly into the national team's development.
(with agency inputs)
view comments
Location :
New Delhi, India, India
First Published:
August 10, 2025, 17:56 IST
News sports » football AIFF President Kalyan Chaubey Blames India's FIFA Ranking Decline To 'Complex' Nature Of System
Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
40 minutes ago
- Time of India
NBA Trade Rumors: Los Angeles Lakers Could Sign $121 Million Golden State Warriors Superstar; LeBron James Key Trade Asset?
LeBron James and Stephen Curry (Image via Getty) A new blockbuster mock trade scenario has surfaced, suggesting a massive shake-up for the Los Angeles Lakers that would see LeBron James and his son Bronny shipped to the Golden State Warriors in exchange for Jimmy Butler and a future first-round pick. The Proposed Trade between the Lakers and the Warriors Sports Illustrated's Dan Angell outlined the trade concept, explaining the Lakers' potential reasoning behind such a bold move. 'The Lakers really don't love the idea of taking on Jimmy Butler's contract, especially with LeBron's contract due to expire at the end of the 2025-26 season,' Angell wrote. 'They want to be free of LeBron's contract, but there's no way to do that before the end of 2026 without taking equal value back.' Under the proposal, the Lakers would: • Send LeBron James and Bronny James to the Golden State Warriors • Receive Jimmy Butler and a 2028 first-round pick in return Lakers-Warriors Trade Structure LeBron James is currently with the Los Angeles Lakers (Image via Getty Images) Team Receives Lakers Jimmy Butler, 2028 1st-round pick Warriors LeBron James, Bronny James Why the Los Angeles Lakers Would Consider It The idea centers on the Los Angeles Lakers beginning a post-LeBron era, potentially building around Luka Doncic in the future. The additional 2028 first-round pick would help stockpile assets for long-term roster construction. According to Angell, Butler would keep the Lakers competitive in the short term while providing strong defensive and offensive contributions despite being 36 years old. Key Reasons for Lakers' Interest: • Avoid long-term financial commitment to LeBron • Add future draft capital • Maintain playoff competitiveness with Butler • Transition toward a Luka Doncic-led core The Golden State Warriors' Side of the Deal The Golden State Warriors reportedly acquired Butler from the Miami Heat in early February, seeking a spark for a struggling team. His arrival delivered results, as Golden State finished with 48 regular-season wins and claimed the No. 7 seed after winning their Play-In game. Jimmy Butler's 2024-25 Postseason Impact Series/Stage Stats (per game) Western Conference Semifinals vs. Timberwolves 20.2 points, 7.4 rebounds, 5.6 assists Although Butler had quieter moments in the second round against Minnesota, his production came with Stephen Curry sidelined due to a Grade 1 calf strain. While LeBron James remains the superior talent and is five years younger than Butler, the hypothetical trade suggests the Los Angeles Lakers could still contend with Butler as their third star. Also read: NBA Trade Rumors: Los Angeles Lakers Reportedly Eyeing $86 million Houston Rockets Guard to Bolster Squad Around Luka-LeBron Champion Duo For the Golden State Warriors, pairing LeBron with Curry - alongside the arrival of Bronny - would create a fresh narrative and potentially extend their championship window. Catch Rani Rampal's inspiring story on Game On, Episode 4. Watch Here!
New Indian Express
4 hours ago
- New Indian Express
India on global surfing map after Asian C'ships: ASF secretary
MAHABALIPURAM (CHENNAI): As the curtain sets down on the Asian Surfing Championships on Tuesday evening surfers and top Asian surfing officials have lauded the 'professional mindset and expertise' in which this meet was managed. Organised by the Surfing Federation of India (SFI) and supported by the Tamil Nadu government, the Asian Surfing Championships kicked off here on August 3 with 19 countries and 114 athletes taking part. This event also served as a qualifier to surfing in next year's Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan. India concluded with a strong show with Ramesh Budihal's bronze medal in the Open Men's final the best performance. Shusaku Miyabe, general secretary of the Asian Surfing Federation (ASF), explained that he was initially apprehensive before the tournament. 'As soon as we finished the first inspection of the venue, we got confident with the expertise of the SFI. After we listened to their plans of organising, we felt safe in conducting it here," he told this daily after the closing ceremony. He felt that this event has got global attention in surfing. 'Surfers worldwide must be surprised after the way in which the tournament was conducted. The countries here only had positive things to say about especially the way the tournament was managed,' he said. Miyabe's pick in his stay here was the central kitchen where athletes from all the nations could gather in one place and interacted. 'This was not done in international surfing events. This gesture created a nice environment to mingle together. This is the atmosphere you would see in the Olympics' athletes villages," he said. Miyabe also felt that India has set a high standard for other nations to follow on, which could be very hard to catch. 'With this event, they have definitely put themselves on the global surfing map. Officials who have been involved in the sport for 20-30 years said that this was one of the best events and they would like to come back,' he added. Kanoa Heejae, U18 and senior champion in the men's category, enjoyed his stay here. It was his first time here. 'I learnt a lot here, I had come a week early to train and I enjoyed it,' he said. He felt that the domestic surfers should compete more internationally to increase competition standards. 'There is a little more pressure, Everyone is a lot better there. So it's good to compete and win with better surfers,' he added. India secure 4 quotas for Asiad After a strong performance, India has secured four quotas in total for next year's Asian Games. They secured two more quotas on Tuesday. They initially secured the first couple of quotas in last year's edition. Two each will go to the men and women's category. Additionally Budihal secured himself a ticket to the SurfCity El Salvador ALSA Global Finals in November. In the U18 category, the boys from India finished fifth. In the girls' category they finished fourth with a copper medal with 1450 points. The men's category was where India performed best, finishing third behind Indonesia (gold) and South Korea (silver) with 1785 points. The women finished eighth. India coach Samai Reboul was happy with the outcome from this tournament. 'We had a strategic approach to the heat. We tried to adapt to the wave and performed on limited opportunities,' he said.
Time of India
5 hours ago
- Time of India
Khalid Jamil signs two-year deal as India coach, set to part ways with Jamshedpur
Khalid Jamil's first assignment with the national team will be the Central Asian Football Association (CAFA) Nations Cup 2025 in Tajikistan Panaji: Khalid Jamil will mutually part ways with Jamshedpur FC in the next 24 to 48 hours and take over as the new coach of the national football team. The executive committee of the All India Football Federation (AIFF) cleared the path for Jamil to succeed Manolo Marquez as the national team coach on August 1, but it took almost 10 days of negotiations for both parties to reach an agreement. According to sources, Jamil has now signed a two-year contract with a provision to extend the agreement by another year, depending on performances, largely linked to India's qualification for the AFC Asian Cup 2027. The coach remains contracted to Jamshedpur until June 2026, but the club has agreed to release him, despite the Indian Super League (ISL) semifinalists being involved in the knockout stages of the Durand Cup, Asia's oldest football tournament. Jamshedpur won all three games and made it to the quarterfinals. 'Khalid wanted to take up the India job, it's a dream assignment for any domestic coach, but it's not an easy time for Jamshedpur since the decision comes just a month after they started pre-season,' a senior official told TOI. 'The club will release Khalid and appoint an interim coach.' Jamil's first assignment with the national team will be the Central Asian Football Association (CAFA) Nations Cup 2025, where India have games against hosts Tajikistan (Aug 29), Iran (Sept 1), and Afghanistan (Sept 4). by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Nine years ago they were called the most beautiful twins in the world. Look at them now Undo 'The preparatory camp will start in Kolkata from Aug 15. Jamil has already been handed a list of players who were involved in the last three international games and he will prepare a shortlist. Since six ISL clubs are yet to start pre-season training, it remains to be seen if he only picks players involved in competitive games like the Durand Cup and ACL qualifier,' said another official. Jamil's first competitive match in charge will be an Asian Cup qualifier away in Singapore on Oct 9, followed by the return leg in Bengaluru five days later. Jamil was handpicked by the AIFF executive committee after a recommendation from its technical committee, led by former India captain IM Vijayan. Dronacharya Award winners, Bimal Ghosh and Armando Colaco, advisors to AIFF president Kalyan Chaubey, also supported the domestic coach, ahead of Stephen Constantine and Stefan Tarkovic. An AFC pro coaching licence holder since 2015, the 48-year-old has managed over 200 games in the I-League with stints at clubs like Mumbai FC, Aizawl FC – with whom he scripted a fairytale I-League triumph – East Bengal, and Mohun Bagan. In the Indian Super League (ISL), now the top-tier league, he has guided NorthEast United and Jamshedpur to the semifinals, despite being teams with much lower budgets. Stay updated with the latest local news from your city on Times of India (TOI). Check upcoming bank holidays , public holidays , and current gold rates and silver prices in your area.
