Football
ESPN staff 10y

Brazil up to third in FIFA World Ranking

World Cup hosts Brazil have moved into third place in the latest FIFA World Ranking as Spain and Germany retained the top two positions.

Portugal -- who benefited from bonus ranking points for having defeated Sweden in their World Cup playoff last year -- are now fourth while Argentina and Switzerland each moved up two places and are now fifth and sixth respectively.

Uruguay dropped one place to seventh and Colombia dropped three to eighth, while Euro 2012 finalists Italy remain ninth and their first World Cup opponents, England, return to the top 10 at the expense of Greece, who fall to 12th.

Belgium are up one place to 11th despite having their recent 5-1 friendly victory over Luxembourg wiped from the records after coach Marc Wilmots used too many substitutes.

The United States climbed one spot to 13th, ahead of Chile, with the Netherlands 15th, France 17th and Mexico 20th.

Algeria, in 22nd, are now the highest-ranked African side, with Ivory Coast falling three places to 23rd, while 43rd-placed Iran, down six spots, are the best-placed Asian team.

Palestine were the biggest movers, rising 71 places to 94th, which represents their best ever position.

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