KUALA LUMPUR (AFC) - Iran have retained their status as Asia’s top ranked side following Thursday’s release of the latest FIFA Ranking.
Team Melli, who exited the 2015 AFC Asian Cup at the quarter-final stage, slipped one place globally to be ranked 42nd in the world, but remained ahead of Japan who, after climbing two spots, are second in Asia, and 53rd in the world.
Korea Republic move down one to third in Asia and 56th overall, while January’s AFC Asian Cup winners Australia are fourth.
In a month of modest rises for Asian sides, Afghanistan climbed seven places, the most by any AFC team, to be ranked 18th in Asia and 137th globally.
Full FIFA Ranking for Asia
Iran: (Asia Ranking 1/ Global Ranking 42 / Movement Down 1)
Japan: 2 / 53 / Up 2
Korea Republic: 3 / 56 / Down 2
Australia: 4 / 65 / Down 2
United Arab Emirates: 5 / 69 / Down 3
Uzbekistan 6 / 72 / Down 1
China: 7 / 83 / Down 1
Oman: 8 / 96 / Down 5
Iraq: 9 / 97 / Down 3
Saudi Arabia: 10 / 99 / Down 1
Jordan: 11 / 101 / Down 4
Bahrain: 12 / 104 / Down 1
Qatar: 13 / 109 / No Change
Kuwait: 14 / 125 / Up 3
Philippines: 15 / 128 / Up 4
Vietnam: 16 / 130 / Up 2
Maldives: 17 / 133 / Up 2
Afghanistan: 18 / 137 / Up 7
Palestine: 19 / 140 / Down 14
Tajikistan: 20 / 141 / Down 4
Thailand: 21 / 142 / Up 1
Turkmenistan: 22 / 144 / Up 3
Lebanon: 23 / 146 / Down 25
DPR Korea: 24 / 149 / Up 3
Kyrgyzstan: 25 / 150 / Up 1
Syria: 26 / 152 / Down 2
Myanmar: 27= / 153= / Down 12
Singapore: 27= / 153= / Up 3
Malaysia: 27 / 153= / Up 1
Indonesia: 30 / 156 / Up 2
Hong Kong: 31 / 157 / Up 2
Bangladesh: 33 / 162 / Down 5
Guam: 33 / 167 / Down 5
Pakistan: 34= / 170= / Up 1
Laos: 34= / 170= / Down 9
India: 36 / 173 / Down 2
Sri Lanka: 37 / 174 / Down 1
Yemen: 38 /175 / Up 4
Nepal: 39 / 180 / No Change
Cambodia: 40  / 181 / Up 3
Timor-Leste: 41 / 185 / Up 2
Macau: 42 / 187 / Up 1
Chinese Taipei: 43 / 188 / Down 4
Mongolia: 45 / 195 / Down 1
Brunei Darussalam: 45 / 198 / No Change
Bhutan: 46 / 209 / No Change