World champions Germany comfortably top the year-opening FIFA national team rankings released Thursday despite a slight slump since their rampant World Cup showing.
The top three remain unchanged since September with Lionel Messi’s beaten World Cup finalists Argentina second and Colombia in third.
Up-and-coming Belgium are fourth ahead of their northern neighbours the Netherlands while humiliated World Cup hosts Brazil open the year in a respectable sixth.
Euro 2016 hosts France are seventh as Didier Deschamps’ solid team continue to impress while World Player of the Year Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal are level with them.
After years atop the heap, Spain go into the New Year in ninth with an air of resurgence, ahead of Luis Suarez’s Uruguay who hold tenth place.
FIFA standings: 1. Germany, 2. Argentina, 3. Colombia, 4 Belgium, 5.
Netherlands, 6. Brazil, 7. France, 8. Portugal, 9. Spain, 10. Uruguay.
