Azkals rise in FIFA rankings

The Philippine Azkals jumped one spot in the latest FIFA rankings as released Thursday.

The Azkals are now ranked 135th in the world despite losing two points in the total accumulated at the close of the June international window.

Rwanda dropped big to 139th overall, paving the way for the Azkals, St. Kitts and Nevis, Malaysia, and Turkmenistan to rise.

The Azkals, meanwhile, remained 23rd in Asia, which means they remain on a good track of getting a first round bye in the upcoming joint FIFA World Cup and AFC Asian Cup qualifiers.

They are also still No. 3 in Southeast Asia.

The Azkals welcomed Michael Weiss back as head coach this month and scored a win against Nepal, but they later fell to Chinese Taipei on a late goal.

The next FIFA ranking update is on July 20, exactly a week before the group draw for the World Cup Qualifiers. (PNA)