Rankings often lie — just ask Bangladesh women’s team

If FIFA rankings were the only yardstick to measure footballing pedigree, Bangladesh's 7-0 demolition of Bahrain in the AFC Women's Asian Cup 2026 Qualifiers would be filed under "upset". However, Sunday's result felt more like a long-overdue statement than a shock.

Much of the local media reaction leaned into that disparity, painting the result as a massive upset.

But here's the catch: the scoreline flattered Bahrain more than it exaggerated Bangladesh's brilliance. It was a polished performance -- fast, fluid, and familiar -- from a side whose fans have come to expect this brand of football, especially after two successive SAFF titles.

This is a team that have recently held Jordan (75th ranked) and Indonesia (95) away from home. This is a team that have won back-to-back SAFF titles, beating Nepal (100) on their home turf both times. And this is a team that, despite the popular narratives, went toe-to-toe with India (70) in tense, physical, high-stakes matches -- and emerged as the better side when it mattered.

Yet they are ranked 128th. Why?

The answer, as frustrating as it is familiar, lies in the calendar -- or rather, the absence of one.

After winning their maiden SAFF Championship in September 2022, the girls of Bangladesh didn't play a single international game for nearly ten months.

Ten months of being idle while the rest of the continent moved forward. Ten months where Bangladesh Football Federation failed to build on the biggest achievement in the team's history.

Olympic qualifiers were missed. No high-profile friendlies. The reason? "Budget issues", according to the federation.

In a ranking system that rewards frequency as much as results, the stagnation was predictable. While neighbours like India and Nepal stayed active on the international stage, Bangladesh slipped into obscurity on paper. Not in spirit, not in talent, but in numbers.

But numbers don't always tell the truth.

Ask coach Peter Butler. The Englishman who had guide the team in their SAFF Championship title defence last year, believes that Indonesia, despite being ranked lower, were a tougher test than Jordan. Ask the players, who have shown time and again that they don't need to be ranked higher to outperform the names above them.

And ask anyone who watched them against Bahrain (92).

Myanmar will be a different kind of challenge, though. Ranked 55th, experienced in five Asian Cups, with players honing their skills in elite AFC club competitions -- they represent the next tier that Bangladesh are trying to reach.

But if anything, today's match will offer another chance to highlight the same point: that Bangladesh have outgrown their ranking. The numbers just haven't caught up yet.