India's men's football team fell six places to 142nd in the latest FIFA rankings released Wednesday, marking their lowest position since October 2016 and capping a dramatic two-year decline for the Blue Tigers. The drop follows a painful 0-1 defeat to Bangladesh in Dhaka on November 18, India's first loss to their neighbours since 2003. The defeat, which came in the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers, left India bottom of Group C with just two points from five matches. Bangladesh's Shekh Morsalin scored the only goal in the 11th minute after Rakib Hossain broke down India's defence on a counterattack.

India has now lost 40 places since December 2023, when they were ranked 102nd. The team lost 17.13 coefficient points in this latest update, representing the joint-biggest drop alongside El Salvador.

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