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One Championship side has been ranked above Scottish giants Rangers and two Champions League teams following their bright start to the season.
The 2025/26 Championship campaign has already sprung up surprises, and following the first international break of the season, one team has been handed a high ranking by a supercomputer.
Following their relegation from the Premier League last season, followed by their bright start to the current season, Leicester City have now learned their world ranking, according to the OPTA Analyst supercomputer.
Championship side Leicester find themselves 117th in the world, pitting them alongside several big clubs across the globe.
Leicester City rank above Rangers and Champions League sides in OPTA rankings
Most notably, Leicester City find themselves above Rangers in the rankings, having been placed five spots above the Glaswegian giants, which likely comes about after their dire start to the Scottish Premiership and their inability to make the Champions League.
Alongside Rangers, the highest-ranked Championship side, Leicester City, are also above Champions League clubs Qarabag and Kairat in the rankings.
Surprisingly, the Championship’s second-highest rated club is Coventry City, who notably find themselves above Bundesliga side Hoffenheim, while they and Middlesbrough also rank above Los Angeles FC and Boca Juniors.
In comparison to Leicester City as the highest-ranked team in the Championship, fellow recently relegated Premier League sides, Southampton and Ipswich Town, rank 7th and 8th respectively in the division, and 160th and 170th in the world.
Leicester City could be dark horses this season
Following the start to the Championship season, there has been plenty of praise directed at table-toppers Middlesbrough, who have won four games in a row, while West Brom and Stoke City have also enjoyed a bright start to the campaign.
However, Leicester City have gone under the radar, despite notching a respectable nine points in their opening four games under Marti Cifuentes.
Many expected Leicester City to endure a challenging season after losing Jamie Vardy, while they also face potential financial difficulties, but their start to the campaign suggests that there is plenty to be excited about.
Abdul Fatawu has been a stunning revelation for Leicester at Championship level, and if Cifuentes’ side can maintain their form, they will prove to be an exciting team to watch this season.