Pakistan Football Team Rank
The Shaheens sit 197th in the FIFA world rankings (October 2026) — climbing back from 203rd in April. The current rank, how FIFA calculates it, the full journey from the 1994 peak to the 2019 low, and what it will take to climb higher.
Last updated: 11 October 2026
The Essentials
Key Facts at a Glance
Pakistan’s FIFA ranking in thirty seconds.
Right Now
The Latest Ranking Update
FIFA released its latest men’s world rankings on 7–8 October 2026. Pakistan moved up one place to 197th.
| Ranking Date | Pakistan’s Rank | Movement |
|---|---|---|
| October 2026 | 197th | ▲ Up 1 |
| June 2026 | 199th | ▲ Up 4 |
| April 2026 | 203rd | ▼ Down 3 |
| January 2026 | 199th | — |
The direction is finally positive. After the April 2026 drop to 203rd — which followed a defeat to Myanmar in the AFC Asian Cup 2027 qualifiers on 31 March — Pakistan has recovered six places in two ranking cycles. The October update reflects recent international results, and while 197th is still deep in the lower reaches of the 211-team table, the trend matters: this is the first sustained climb in years.
For the month-by-month picture with points totals, see our dedicated Pakistan FIFA ranking tracker.
The System
How the FIFA Ranking Works
Since August 2018, FIFA has used an Elo-based formula called SUM. It is mechanical — and Pakistan can game it.
Points Update
After every match: P = Pbefore + I × (W − We). Your new points equal your old points plus importance × (actual result − expected result).
Match Importance
Friendlies count 5; Nations League and qualifiers 25; continental finals up to 35; World Cup matches up to 60. Qualifiers matter five times more than friendlies.
Result vs Expectation
Win = 1, draw = 0.5, loss = 0 — measured against what the Elo maths expected. Beating a stronger team earns far more than beating a weaker one.
The practical lesson for Pakistan: ranking points are earned fastest by winning competitive matches against higher-ranked teams. A friendly win over a minnow barely moves the needle; a qualifier win over a team ranked 150th can jump several places. FIFA publishes the ranking roughly once a month, so every international window is a chance to climb — or slide.
The Journey
Ranking History: 1994 to Today
From a respectable 141st in the 1990s to the brink of the basement in 2019 — and now a slow climb back.
Pakistan’s highest-ever ranking, during a rare period of PFF stability and regular international football in the early 1990s.
The worst ranking in team history, after successive defeats to Cambodia amid administrative chaos and FIFA suspension.
Six places recovered in 2026 under an elected PFF and head coach Nolberto Solano. The direction is up — the distance is long.
The lost decades are the real story. FIFA suspended Pakistan in 2017 over third-party interference in the PFF, and again in 2021–22 after a rival faction seized the federation’s headquarters — the ban was lifted in June 2022. Between suspensions, court battles and Normalisation Committee rule, Pakistan played barely any international football for years, and the ranking bled out. The turnaround began in October 2023, when Pakistan beat Cambodia 1–0 in Islamabad (after a 0–0 draw away) to reach the second round of World Cup qualifying — a first. The PFF’s democratic elections in 2025, which brought president Mohsin Gilani to office, ended the ad-hoc era. For the full rivalry context, read our Pakistan vs India football rivalry guide.
The Neighbourhood
Pakistan in South Asia
Every South Asian rival sits above Pakistan — some far above.
| South Asia Rank | Team | FIFA Rank (mid-2026) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | India | 138th |
| 2 | Maldives | 173rd |
| 3 | Nepal | 177th |
| 4 | Bangladesh | 181st |
| 5 | Sri Lanka | 187th |
| 6 | Bhutan | 192nd |
| 7 | Pakistan | 199th |
Pakistan is last among the seven SAFF nations — behind even Bhutan and the Maldives. As The News noted during the April 2026 slump, teams such as Bhutan, Nepal, Maldives and Myanmar continue to rank significantly higher, highlighting the growing gap within the region. The SAFF Championship — where Pakistan’s best result remains third place in 1997 — is the most realistic stage for the Shaheens to bank ranking points, since qualifier wins against similarly-ranked neighbours carry real weight.
The Squad
The Team Today
Who the Shaheens are in 2026.
Head Coach
Nolberto Solano — the former Peru international and Newcastle United winger, appointed to bring professional structure.
Captain
Abdullah Iqbal leads the side; Haroon Yousaf (49 caps) is the most-capped player in team history.
Home Ground
Jinnah Stadium, Islamabad — where Pakistan beat Cambodia in 2023 to make World Cup qualifying history.
Top Scorer
Muhammad Umer with 18 international goals — the team’s all-time leading scorer.
Known as the Shaheens (The Falcons), Pakistan plays in green, carries FIFA code PAK, and has been a FIFA member since 1948 and an AFC member since 1954. The team has never qualified for the FIFA World Cup or the AFC Asian Cup finals — the 2027 Asian Cup qualifying campaign is the current focus. The federation itself is now led by elected president Mohsin Gilani, after the 2025 PFF elections ended years of Normalisation Committee rule.
Landmark Results
The record books hold both ends of the spectrum. First international: Iran 5–1 Pakistan, Tehran, 27 October 1950. Biggest wins: 9–2 over Guam in Taipei (6 April 2008), 7–0 over Thailand in Kuala Lumpur (5 August 1960) and 7–0 over Bhutan in Dhaka (8 December 2009). Heaviest defeats: 9–1 to Iran in Tehran (12 March 1969) and 8–0 to Iraq in Amman (28 May 1993). The team’s finest regional hours came early: winners of the 1952 Asian Quadrangular Football Tournament, gold medallists at the South Asian Games in 1989 and 1991, and third place at the 1997 SAFF Championship — still the best SAFF finish. The modern landmark is October 2023: the 1–0 win over Cambodia in Islamabad that took Pakistan into the second round of World Cup qualifying for the first time.
The Honest Answer
Why the Ranking Is So Low
It is not a talent problem. It is an everything-else problem.
Four interlocking causes explain the 197th place. First, governance: two FIFA suspensions (2017, 2021–22), years of court-appointed and Normalisation Committee administration, and a federation headquarters once physically seized by a rival faction — Pakistan played almost no international football for long stretches, and in the Elo system, inactivity is punished. Second, fixtures: without regular friendlies and qualifiers, there were no points to earn; even now the calendar is thin. Third, domestic structure: Pakistan has lacked a stable professional league for years, so players develop without the week-in, week-out competition their rivals get. Fourth, money: chronic underfunding of camps, travel and youth development.
The hopeful read: every one of these is fixable, and three are already being fixed — an elected PFF, a foreign head coach, and regular competitive fixtures in the Asian Cup qualifying cycle. Rankings respond to results within months, not decades. If the Shaheens keep winning the matches in front of them, 197th will look like a footnote.
The Other Team
The Women’s Team
Pakistan’s women are writing their own, brighter story.
The Pakistan women’s national team is ranked 154th in the FIFA women’s world ranking (June 2026) — 43 places above the men. In April 2026 the team made history with its first appearance in an official FIFA event, the FIFA Series in Ivory Coast, where it recorded its biggest-ever win: 8–0 over Turks and Caicos. Coached by Adeel Rizki and captained by Maria Khan (top scorer: Nadia Khan with 6 goals), the women’s side has competed in five SAFF Women’s Championships, reaching the semi-finals in 2010.
Read more: Pakistan women’s football team makes history in FIFA Series and a proud moment: Pakistan women shine on the FIFA stage.
Answers
Frequently Asked Questions
The questions fans ask most about Pakistan’s FIFA ranking.
What is Pakistan football team’s current rank?
197th in the world in the FIFA men’s rankings released on 7–8 October 2026 — up one place from 198th, and up six places from 203rd in April 2026.
What is Pakistan’s highest FIFA ranking?
141st, in February 1994 — during a rare period of administrative stability and regular international football in the early 1990s.
What is Pakistan’s lowest FIFA ranking?
205th, in June 2019 — after successive defeats to Cambodia during a period of PFF turmoil and FIFA suspension.
How often is the FIFA ranking updated?
Roughly once a month, after each international window. The October 2026 update was released on 7–8 October; the next is expected in November 2026.
Why is Pakistan ranked so low in football?
Two FIFA suspensions (2017, 2021–22), years without competitive fixtures, no stable professional league and chronic underfunding. The ranking measures results — and Pakistan barely played for long stretches. An elected PFF (2025) and regular qualifiers are now reversing the slide.
What is Pakistan women’s football team rank?
154th in the FIFA women’s world ranking (June 2026) — 43 places above the men’s team, after a historic first FIFA Series appearance in April 2026.
How does the FIFA ranking work?
Since 2018 FIFA uses an Elo-based formula: new points = old points + importance × (result − expected result). Qualifiers count five times more than friendlies, and beating stronger teams earns far more points.
Follow the Shaheens’ Climb
Football news, rankings and analysis from across Pakistan sport.
Feature Pakistan’s Pakistan Guides explain the country’s teams, rankings and sporting institutions in plain language — verified against FIFA’s published rankings and the Pakistan Football Federation. Ranking figures on this page reflect the FIFA men’s world ranking released 7–8 October 2026.