FIFA RANKING: Germany on TOP, Nigeria rise to 34th..3rd in Africa

Champion Germany

Germany’s charge to claim Sunday’s World Cup title has seen them return to the top of FIFA’s world rankings for the first time in around 20 years.

The latest list, published on Thursday, has Germany moving up one place on the strength of their 1-0 defeat of Argentina ar Rio de Janeiro’s Maracana. Lionel Messi’s Argentina are placed second, an improvement of three places, with the Netherlands leaping 12 rungs into third after their impressive World Cup third place finish.

The James Rodriguez-inspired Colombia move up to fourth (+4), ahead of Belgium (+6) and Uruguay while disappointing Brazil dropped four spots to seventh. Deposed world champions Spain slumped seven spots to their new modest placing of eighth, with Switzerland and France (+7) completing the top ten. Costa Rica’s remarkable charge to the quarter-finals was rewarded with a jump of 12 places to 16th. England’s woeful first round exit resulted in Roy Hodgson’s side dropping ten places to 20th.

In the CAF rankings, Algeria are at the top, followed by Côte d’Ivoire and Nigeria in 2nd and 3rd places, respectively.

By this ranking, released today by FIFA, the top ten teams in Africa are

Super Eagle coach Stephen Keshi and Captain Joseph Yobo.

1 Algeria
2 Côte d’Ivoire
3 Nigeria
4 Egypt
5 Ghana
6 Tunisia
7 Guinea
8 Cameroon
9 Burkina Faso
10 Mali

Below are the top 100 teams in the world

1 Germany
2 Argentina
3 Netherlands
4 Colombia
5 Belgium
6 Uruguay
7 Brazil
8 Spain
9 Switzerland
10 France
11 Portugal
12 Chile
13 Greece
14 Italy
15 USA
16 Costa Rica
17 Croatia
18 Mexico
19 Bosnia and Herzegovina
20 England
21 Ecuador
22 Ukraine
23 Russia
24 Algeria
25 Côte d’Ivoire
26 Denmark
27 Scotland
28 Romania
29 Sweden
30 Venezuela
31 Serbia
32 Turkey
33 Panama
34 Nigeria
35 Czech Republic
36 Egypt
37 Slovenia
38 Hungary
38 Ghana
40 Honduras
41 Armenia
42 Tunisia
43 Austria
44 Wales
45 Japan
46 Slovakia
47 Iceland
48 Paraguay
49 Iran
50 Montenegro
51 Guinea
52 Uzbekistan
53 Norway
53 Cameroon
55 Finland
56 Korea Republic
57 Jordan
58 Burkina Faso
59 Peru
60 Mali
61 Poland
62 Senegal
63 Libya
64 Sierra Leone
65 United Arab Emirates
66 South Africa
67 Albania
67 Israel
69 Oman
70 Republic of Ireland
71 Bolivia
72 Bulgaria
73 Azerbaijan
74 FYR Macedonia
75 Cape Verde Islands
76 Australia
77 Zambia
78 Saudi Arabia
79 Morocco
79 Angola
81 Belarus
82 Congo
83 Jamaica
84 Trinidad and Tobago
85 Palestine
86 Qatar
87 Uganda
88 Togo
89 Northern Ireland
89 Iraq
91 Benin
92 Estonia
93 Gabon
94 China PR
95 Kenya
96 Congo DR
97 Georgia
98 Zimbabwe
99 Botswana
100 Niger

Nigeria rose up ten spots to 34th place in the Fifa rankings , courtesy of the Super Eagles’ second round finish at the World Cup in Brazil.