The Republic of Ireland's men's team has slipped to 60th place in the FIFA Men's Rankings, which is a reflection on their disappointing performance in the Euro qualifying group under the former Ireland manager, Stephen Kenny.
During Kenny's tenure, Ireland secured victories in only two out of eight games, prompting the FAI (Football Association of Ireland) to make a managerial change in preparation for 2024. The replacement for Kenny is yet to be appointed, with several names, including Roy Keane, Damien Duff, Steve Bruce, and others, being linked to the role.
Although Ireland's current ranking at 60th is a cause for concern, it is not their lowest ever placement. The lowest point was reached during the O'Neill-Keane era in 2014 when Ireland was ranked 70th at that time. While the highest ever was when Ireland the team achieved their highest ranking in 1992 under Jack Charlton, reaching the sixth position.
This decline in rankings isn't uncommon during Kenny's reign. In his first month as the manager, Ireland was ranked 42nd, but the number has steadily decreased since then. Here's hoping that the new manager can make amends.
🇮🇪| Ireland are now ranked 60th in the FIFA World Rankings, our lowest ranking since 2014
Our lowest ever position is 70th…
🙃🙃🙃 pic.twitter.com/utqcQ28hqJ
— IrishPropaganda🇮🇪⚽️ (@IrishPropaganda) November 30, 2023
The Ireland women's team are ranked 23rd. They will learn if they have improved on this on December 1, which is tomorrow. It is expected that Ireland's 4 out 4 wins in the Nations League B this year will improve on this ranking. Their best ever ranking was 22, which was recorded earlier this year.
Looking at the broader men's rankings, Argentina, the world champions, keep their top position, followed by France in second and Belgium in fourth place. Brazil, following back-to-back defeats by Colombia and Argentina, has slipped to fifth place.England rise to third
Switzerland has dropped four places to 18th, while the most significant upward movement comes from the Comoros Islands, who climbed nine spots to 119th after notable victories against the Central African Republic and Ghana
Here's a full list of the men's rankings
See More: Football, Ireland, Stephen Kenny
