ZURICH: The latest edition of the FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking has been a moving experience.

The 77 qualification matches for the 2014World Cup has ensured a number of changes compared with last month.

In the top 20, leaders Spain and second-placed Germany remain unchallenged at the top but Argentina’s move into third place following wins against Uruguay (11th, down four) and Chile (21st, down four) edging Portugal down to fourth.

Also benefiting from two victories have  been  Italy (fifth, up three) and Russia (ninth, up three), the latter moving into the top 10  for the first time since October 2010.

Brazil, who of course are hosting the 2014 World Cup and thus have no potential points-earning qualification matches and are finding it difficult to maintain their position in the ranking, managed to prevent a further downward slide thanks to two runaway wins in friendlies against Iraq (97th, down 17) and Japan (24th, down one) and are currently ranked 13th.

Six teams have reached their highest-ever position since the FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking was launched in 1993: Algeria (19th, up five), Haiti (57th, up three), the Dominican Republic (92nd, up 10), St Kitts and Nevis (106th, up 16), the Philippines (143rd, up four) and Timor-Leste (187th, up 19).

The results of 146 “A” international matches have been taken into account in the current edition of the FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking, of which more than half (77) were qualifying matches for the next FIFA World Cup™, 25 were CONCACAF/AFC continental qualifiers and 44 were friendlies.

The next FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking will be published on December 19.

Management summary

• ·         Leader                                                       Spain (unchanged)
• ·         Moves into top ten                                      Russia (9th, up 3), Croatia (10th, up 1)
• ·         Moves out of top ten                                   Uruguay (11th, down 4), Greece (12th, down 2)
• ·         Matches played in total                                146
• ·         Most matches played                                   Laos (6 matches)
• ·         Biggest move by points                                 Hungary (up 160 points)
• ·         Biggest move by ranks                                 St Lucia (up 38 ranks)
• ·         Biggest drop by points                                  Slovenia (down 101 points)
• ·         Biggest drop by ranks                                   Congo (down 21 ranks)

Ranking as of November 7, 2012

 Click here to view the complete ranking.

To find out more about the calculation of the FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking click here.

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