COLOMBO, May 6 (ePRESS) – Sri Lanka have climbed to 191st place in the FIFA World Rankings after 11 years, following a string of strong performances in the Asian Cup qualifiers.
The national team’s rise marks a significant turnaround after slipping to 205th in 2024, having last held the 191st position in 2015. The latest rankings, which include 211 countries, place Sri Lanka just below Samoa (190) and above American Samoa (192), while South Asian rivals Pakistan are ranked 202nd.
Sri Lanka’s recent improvement has been driven by a series of impressive results. They recorded a notable 3-1 victory over Chinese Taipei, a higher-ranked side placed 174th, earning 14.42 ranking points. The team also secured wins against Laos (2-1), Brunei (1-0), Turkmenistan (1-0), and again defeated Chinese Taipei 3-1.
They held Maldives to a 1-1 draw but suffered defeats against Thailand twice, as well as losses to Maldives and Turkmenistan in earlier encounters.
Sri Lanka will next face higher-ranked Brunei, who are placed 186th, in an international friendly on June 8 in Thailand. A victory could further boost their ranking, as wins against stronger teams carry greater points in the FIFA system.
Historically, Sri Lanka reached its best ranking of 122nd in 1998 but dropped to 205th in 2019 and again struggled in 2022. However, under the leadership of Football Federation President Jaswar Umar, the team is now showing steady progress and renewed promise on the international field.
