(FILES) In this file photo taken on February 01, 2019 Qatar’s coach Felix Sanchez is thrown in the air as his team celebrates their win in the 2019 AFC Asian Cup final football match between Japan and Qatar at the Zayed Sports City Stadium in Abu Dhabi on February 1, 2019. – Qatar’s remarkable Asian Cup victory may have been a sporting triumph which sparked wild celebrations in Doha but it is almost certain to come at a political price, analysts say.
The win — in the hostile capital of the United Arab Emirates, one of its opponents in a bitter regional dispute — is expected to lead to further animosity between Qatar and the Saudi-led bloc of rival nations. (Photo by Khaled DESOUKI / AFP)
Qatar has climbed a huge 38 places in the latest FIFA world rankings released on Thursday, reaching their highest position in more than quarter of a century on the back of their victorious Asian Cup campaign.
The Gulf state, who will host the World Cup in 2022, is now ranked 55th — just ahead of Cameroon and Egypt — after beating Japan 3-1 in last week’s final in the United Arab Emirates. It is their highest ranking since 1993.
Meanwhile, Japan’s run in the same competition has seen them shoot up to 27th, a rise of 23 positions.
Belgium remains first in an unchanged top 10, just in front of world champions France.
Ranking, February 7
1. Belgium, 2. France, 3. Brazil, 4. Croatia, 5. England, 6. Portugal, 7. Uruguay, 8. Switzerland, 9. Spain, 10. Denmark
Selected others
22. Iran (+7), 27. Japan (+23), 38. South Korea (+15), 55. Qatar (+38)