LAHORE – Pakistan’s national football team has slipped to 199th place in FIFA’s latest men’s world rankings, marking a further decline in the team’s global standing. The rankings include a total of 210 teams.
The drop comes after Pakistan failed to win any of its five matches in the AFC Asian Cup qualifiers, highlighting ongoing challenges in international competitions.
India also experienced a decline, falling six spots to 142nd, while Bangladesh rose three places to 180th. Sri Lanka dropped one position to 194th.
At the top, Spain retained the number one position, followed by Argentina in second and France in third. England is fourth, while Brazil moved up two spots to fifth.
The latest FIFA rankings underscore the urgent need for Pakistan to invest in football development and improve performance at both regional and international levels.
It may be mentioned here that earlier this year Islamabad High Court (IHC) barred the auction and commercialization of cricket and football grounds in the federal capital.
Justice Inam Amin Minhas of the IHC passed the order and granted a stay order against the auction and commercialization of sports grounds, holding that these areas are meant for public use.
The court’s decision came after a petition was filed by Advocate Adil Aziz Qazi and former Chairman of Metropolitan Corporation Sardar Mahtab Ahmed Khan. The petitioners contended that the Capital Development Authority (CDA) cannot auction off sports grounds, which are meant for public benefit.
The petitioners had further argued that the public sports grounds are meant for recreational use by the local citizens and could not be put on sale through high-value auctions.
The counsel for the petitioners also argued that the CDA’s move to auction these grounds for as much as Rs5 million each was in violation of public interest and civic rights.
They asked the court to bar the CDA from auctioning grounds meant for public recreational activities.
After hearing the initial arguments, the court barred CDA from auctioning the grounds, issued notices to the CDA and MCI, and directed them to submit their replies.
The CDA had earlier published advertisements announcing the auction of sports grounds in Islamabad which sparked criticism from various civic and sports communities.
Made in Pakistan Football Trionda set to take center stage at FIFA 2026
