Palestinians continued to be unable to qualify for the World Cup finals as their qualifying campaign ended early. However, the closest chance to qualify was in 2018 when the Palestinian national team collected 14 points[a] and was close to advancing to the crucial stage, but losing in the penultimate round ended their hopes. The Palestinian team failed to reach four tournaments in a row but managed to reach the last two Asian Cup finals, first in 2015. So far, the best Palestinian result in the tournament is still the group stage. In addition, the team has climbed to 73rd which is their best position in the FIFA World Rankings since the Palestinian Federation re-joined in 1998.[3]