A World Cup-bound team is at risk of being overtaken by Thailand.

Following the 2026 World Cup, Haiti slipped to 88th in the FIFA table, giving Thailand a chance to surge ahead on the global rankings if they deliver strong results soon.

The historic journey at the 2026 World Cup did not end well for Haiti. After being eliminated in the group stage, the CONCACAF team not only left the tournament early but also suffered a significant drop in the FIFA rankings. This inadvertently opened the door for Thailand to improve its position if it achieves good outcomes in upcoming competitions.

Making its first appearance at the World Cup stage, Haiti faced very strong opponents and finished the group stage with three straight losses. Nevertheless, the team left a mark by scoring twice against Morocco, showing commendable spirit in their debut at the biggest football festival.

According to the latest FIFA points table, Haiti lost 28.52 points after the 2026 World Cup, leaving them with only 1,264.58 points and dropping to 88th in the world, down five places from before the tournament. The gap between Haiti and the pursuing pack behind is now not too large, making further ranking losses entirely possible in the near future.

Among the teams with a chance to overtake, Thailand is seen as a strong contender. The "War Elephants" currently sit 94th in the world with 1,250.80 points, just under 14 points behind Haiti. If they perform well at the 2026 AFF Cup and subsequent international tournaments, the team from the Land of Smiles can fully close the gap and even surpass the CONCACAF representative in the FIFA standings.

Thailand's advantage lies in the fact that the team will have many international matches in the near future. If they advance deep to the final of the 2026 AFF Cup, the "War Elephants" could play up to eight matches. In addition, they will also take part in the FIFA ASEAN Cup 2026, with an expected four more games. This will be a crucial chance for coach Anthony Hudson's side to accumulate FIFA points if they maintain good form.

Currently, Thailand remains the highest-ranked team in Southeast Asia on the FIFA list. In the past, the team once rose to 43rd in the world in 1998, the best achievement in history for a Southeast Asian team. With a packed schedule in the second half of 2026, the "War Elephants" are facing an opportunity to significantly improve their ranking, especially as Haiti has just experienced a long slide after their first-ever World Cup.