Last month, Qatar’s national football team’s bleak performance in the CONCACAF Gold Cup caused the squad to drop in FIFA Rankings.
Qatar’s national team has slipped down two spots to 61st in the latest FIFA World Ranking, showcasing a decline in global performance by Al Annabi.
According to the latest standings, Qatar is ranked 61st with 1395.57 points, just behind Ghana and ahead of Albania, who piled up 1377.47 points.
Previously, Qatar was 59th, but the descent comes after a disappointing rendition at two home friendlies against Kenya and Russia.
Qatar took on an experimental starting lineup for the match against Kenya, in which Joseph Okumu and Michael Olunga struck two goals against the vulnerable Carlos Queiroz side.
Meanwhile, Qatar drew 1-1 against the Russians, who were suspended by both FIFA and UEFA from all competitions following the invasion of Ukraine. That match marked the third time the two sides came together.
Despite the slip, Qatar is now gearing up for the men’s FIFA World Cup 2026 and 2027 AFC Asian Cup qualifiers where it has been placed in Group A.
Competing against India, Kuwait, and either Afghanistan or Mongolia, Al Annabi will have its golden opportunity to qualify for the World tournaments.
With the 2026 edition of the World Cup expanding to a 48-team affair, the AFC will have eight direct qualification spots, four more than in the 2022 World Cup, and a playoff slot.
This is the third time that the first two rounds of qualifiers for the FIFA World Cup will also serve as the qualifiers for the AFC Asian Cup.
After the qualifiers, the top two teams from each group will make it to the next round, while the rest will advance to the third round of the 2027 Asian Cup qualification.
In the Asian region, Japan leads the rankings and is shortly followed by Iran.
South Korea, Australia, and Saudi Arabia are next in line in Asia, with Qatar sitting as the sixth-best team in the continent.
Meanwhile, World Cup winner Argentina remains on top as the South Americans have cruised through the 2026 World Cup Qualifiers.
France follows with Brazil in third, England in fourth, and Belgium in fifth.