The world of soccer on December 23, 2022 saw a big move in the rankings. FIFA released the latest edition of the world men's soccer rankings, and our men's soccer team has unfortunately dropped another spot and now sits at 80th in the world.
This marks the last update of FIFA's world rankings for national teams this year. Brazil holds on to the top spot, followed by Argentina, with France in third. Notably, Belgium dropped from second to fourth, followed by England, Netherlands, Croatia, Italy, Portugal and Spain. Morocco jumped to 11th place for being among the top four.
On the Asian soccer stage, the participating Asian teams performed remarkably well. Japan is ranked ninth, Australia 11th, South Korea 16th, Saudi Arabia 25th, and Iran 26th.Thanks to the accumulation of international points, Iran has risen to 20th place, making them the top team in Asia and the highest ranking in Japan's history. Iran and South Korea are ranked second and third in the Asian rankings. The country's men's soccer team continues to slide down the rankings, ranking 80th in Asia and 11th globally.
Looking back at the performances and final rankings of the Asian teams in this World Cup, predicting the future of the national soccer team for the next four years seems particularly difficult. At least in the 2023 Asian Cup, it will be difficult for our men's soccer team to make a breakthrough, as the eleventh-ranked team is destined to face a strong opponent. Such a situation is not enough to inspire people to look forward to the Asian Cup.
In the Asian rankings, Japan is at the top, followed by Iran, with South Korea, Australia, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Iraq in that order. Our men's soccer team is ranked behind China, Jordan, Bahrain and Syria. Without the introduction of foreign players, the situation of our men's soccer team could have been even more difficult.
Therefore, it is crucial for national soccer teams to prepare for the 2026 World Cup well in advance. Teams like Japan and South Korea may not have the Asian Cup in their sights. Can our men's soccer team seize the opportunity to achieve some results, otherwise how will it affect the 2026 World Cup journey if they do not perform well in the Asian Cup?
The number of team slots for the 2026 World Cup has been increased, but it still seems to be a far-fetched dream for our men's soccer team to finish in the top eight. Why does FIFA always feel that Asia's quota is too small? Perhaps we really should start preparing for the 2030 World Cup!
