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Brazil stays atop FIFA rankings
France moves up to No. 2 in latest release
Posted: Wednesday July 15, 1998 11:40 AM
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Down, but still No. 1: France may have won the World Cup, but Brazil remains atop FIFA rankings (AP) |
PARIS (Reuters) - Brazil remains
the best team in world soccer, according to FIFA's rankings, but France has
jumped 15 places to second after beating the Brazilians 3-0 in Sunday's
World Cup final.
FIFA said on Wednesday that Brazil was now in danger of losing its No. 1
spot for the first time in more than four years.
Brazil's lead at the top of the rankings has been cut from 6.91 points in
May to 3.66 this month. France gained 4.96 points for its defeat of Brazil
on Sunday and another good win against a strong side could see it topple
the South Americans.
Croatia
also jumped 15 places to fourth after finishing third in the World Cup,
while the Netherlands
are now rated eighth in the world, equal with Italy, after
losing the third-place match to Croatia.
The Dutch have climbed 17 places in the July rankings while Italy,
defeated by France in the quarterfinals, moved up from 14th in the May
rankings.
Seven of the eight teams in the World Cup quarterfinals appear in the top
10, the only exception being Denmark which
is in 18th place, a rise of nine.
Germany
slips one place to third after its quarterfinal loss to Croatia while Argentina,
losers in the last eight to the Dutch, rise one place to fifth.
The big losers in July from the last rankings in May were England, down
five places at 10 after losing to Argentina in the World Cup second round,
Mexico (down
eight at number 12) and Japan (down 10 at
22).
Nigeria,
beaten in the second round by Denmark, is in 64th position while the Czech
Republic, which was not at the finals but was one of the finalists at Euro
'96, is in sixth place.
Copyright 2003 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved.
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