The Bulgarian national football team has suffered another setback on the international stage, sliding further down the FIFA world rankings for September.
Following a series of disappointing results in the ongoing World Cup qualifiers, Bulgaria now sits in 86th place globally.
This drop comes on the heels of two heavy defeats earlier this month. Bulgaria first endured a 0:3 loss against Spain, one of the top-ranked teams in the world and a dominant force in their qualifying group.
Days later, the team faced Georgia, where they again suffered a crushing 0:3 defeat, further dimming their hopes of climbing back up the football ladder.
As a result of these performances, Bulgaria’s total points now stand at 1,271.52, marking a two-place fall compared to the previous ranking update.
The team finds itself trailing behind nations like Zambia, Curaçao, New Zealand, and Uganda, all hailing from vastly different footballing regions.
Just behind Bulgaria are Haiti, Bahrain, and Angola — with Angola drawing attention after recently advancing to the finals of the African Cup of Nations.
At the other end of the spectrum, Spain has reclaimed global football’s pinnacle by taking over first place in the FIFA rankings.
With 1,875.37 points, Spain’s position at the top comes after consecutive victories that strengthened their dominance, including the decisive 3:0 win over Bulgaria.
France also made progress, climbing to second place with 1,870.92 points after convincing wins against Ukraine and Iceland. Argentina, despite being the reigning world champion, slipped to third with 1,870.32 points, narrowly behind France.
England remains a strong contender in fourth, while Portugal advanced into fifth after recent impressive performances. Brazil, which had previously occupied fifth place, has now dropped to sixth.
Rounding out the current global top ten are the Netherlands, Belgium, Croatia, and Italy. Meanwhile, Germany — long considered a traditional football powerhouse — faced a significant blow after a 0:2 defeat to Slovakia. This result pushed them out of the top ten, leaving them in 12th position.
For Bulgaria, the picture is increasingly grim. Once a team with a respected presence on the world stage, including a famous World Cup semi-final run in 1994, the current rankings highlight the team’s long decline.
Critics point to structural issues within Bulgarian football, ranging from underinvestment in youth development to instability in the domestic league, as key factors behind the slide.
With qualification for the upcoming World Cup already looking like a distant dream, the focus for Bulgaria may now turn toward rebuilding and finding a way to restore credibility on the international stage.
Fans, however, are growing restless, as the national team continues to struggle for consistency in both performance and results.
Meanwhile, the rise of Spain, France, and Portugal highlights the growing dominance of European football nations on the global stage. As the rankings stand, Bulgaria finds itself far behind, with an uphill battle ahead if it hopes to return to prominence.