(FIFA.com) Thursday 17 July 2014
Four-time world champions Germany are reaping the
rewards of their triumph at the 2014 FIFA World Cup
Brazil™ in this edition of the FIFA/Coca-Cola World
Ranking. The World Cup Final against Argentina was
also a duel for the leading position in the world
ranking – with Joachim Low’s team coming out on
top on both counts.
Germany lead the table for the first time in around
20 years, followed by Argentina and the Netherlands.
The Oranje’s third-place finish at the World Cup has
propelled them 12 positions up the table and back into
the top ten. All of the teams that exited the World
Cup in the quarter-finals have climbed up the
ranking: Colombia (fourth, up four), Belgium (fifth,
up six), France (tenth, up seven) and Costa Rica (16th,
up 12 – the Ticos’ highest-ever ranking).
If the winners have gained, the less successful teams
are left counting the cost of failure in their ranking
positions. Former champions Spain have fallen from
the top spot to eighth place, while Portugal (11th,
down seven), Italy (14th, down five) and England
(20th, down ten) have all dropped out of the top ten
following their first-round exits. World Cup hosts
Brazil, meanwhile, have dropped four places to seventh
position.
The results of 111 international “A” matches have been
taken into account for the current edition of the
FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking, of which 64 were
played at the World Cup in Brazil, 46 were friendlies
and one was a CONCACAF continental qualifier. In this
qualifier for the CONCACAF Gold Cup 2015, Turks and
Caicos Islands (181st, up 26) celebrated their first
victory in over six years against the British Virgin
Islands, lifting them off the bottom of the table. The
total number of international “A” matches taken into
account so far this year is now 362.
Summary
Leader Germany (up 1)
Moves into top ten
Netherlands (3rd, up 12)
Belgium (5th, up 6)
France (10th, up 7)
Moves out of top ten
Portugal (11th, down 7)
Italy (14th, down 5)
England (20th, down 10)
Matches played in
total 111
Most matches played Argentina, Brazil (9 games
each)
Biggest move by points Netherlands (plus 515
points)
Biggest move by ranks Turks and Caicos Islands
(up 26 ranks)
Biggest drop by points Cape Verde Islands (minus
273 points)
Biggest drop by ranks El Salvador (down 53 ranks)

Source: m.fifa.com/worldranking/news/newsid=2406169/index.html