Brazil slump to record low in FIFA rankings
Reuters - Wednesday 04 July 2012, 10:57
Brazil slumped to 11th in the FIFA
rankings on Wednesday, their lowest ever position, while tiny
Tahiti surged 41 places after their astonishing win at the
Oceania Nations Cup.
Performances at Euro 2012 had an impact on places, with
winners Spain staying top, semi-finalists Germany moving up a
spot to second and runners-up Italy jumped from 12th to sixth.
Moving in the opposite direction, Netherlands slumped from
fourth to eighth after their first-round exit at Euro 2012.
Brazil dropped out of the top 10 for the first time since
the rankings began in 1993 following defeats to Mexico and
Argentina in friendlies in the last month.
Under the complex system used to calculate the rankings,
2014 World Cup hosts Brazil have also suffered by having not
played any competitive internationals since last year's Copa
America when they went out in the quarter-finals.
Uruguay remained the highest-ranked South American side at
third followed by Argentina in seventh.
Africa's highest team
are Ivory Coast in 16th.
Tahiti's shock win at the Oceania Nations Cup lifted them 41
places to 138th though they are still short of their record
111th ranking they achieved in 2002.
Rankings (previous ranking):
1. (1) Spain
2. (3) Germany
3. (2) Uruguay
4. (6) England
5. (10) Portugal
6. (12) Italy
7. (7) Argentina
8. (4) Netherlands
9. (8) Croatia
10. (9) Denmark