TEHRAN, Feb. 04 (MNA) – Iran’s national football team, aka Team Melli, has jumped one place in the latest International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) rankings, securing the 20th position in the world.

Iran’s victory over Palestine, Hong Kong, the UAE, Syria, and Japan in the AFC Asian Cup 2023 in Qatar paved the way for their ascent in the FIFA ranking.

After defeating Japan 2-1 and cruising into the semifinals, Team Melli’s points in FIFA ranking increased +21.04 and reached 1608.27.

Among Asian teams, Iran continues to hold the second position, after Japan with 1614.33 points.

Iran has a chance to replace Japan in the FIFA ranking by defeating their opponents in the semifinals and final of the 2023 AFC Asian Cup.

Argentina, the champion of the 2022 FIFA World Cup, still holds the top position, while teams like France, Brazil, England, Belgium, Croatia, the Netherlands, Italy, Portugal, and Spain occupy the second to tenth spots.

Powerful football teams such as Sweden, Ukraine, Serbia, Poland, Scotland, Wales, the Czech Republic, Turkey, and Norway are now ranked lower than Iran’s national team.

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