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Rediff.com  » Sports » FIFA Rankings: Argentina top as South America dominate; India at 162!

FIFA Rankings: Argentina top as South America dominate; India at 162!

Last updated on: April 07, 2016 15:37 IST
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Argentina's Lionel Messi (centre) celebrates

IMAGE: Argentina's Lionel Messi (centre) celebrates with team-mates Sergio Aguero (left) and Angel Di Maria. Photograph: Eddie Keogh/Reuters.

Argentina moved top as South America dominated the monthly FIFA rankings on Thursday, with five teams, half of the continent's total, in the top 10.

Argentina's World Cup qualifying wins away at Chile and home to Bolivia dislodged Belgium, who had been leading for the previous five months but dropped into second.

Despite the defeat, Chile climbed to third, an all-time high, with Colombia one place behind them in fourth, Brazil seventh and Uruguay ninth.

The rankings did not make such happy reading for Asia, who had only two teams in the top 50, Iran in 42nd and regional champions Australia in 50th.

Algeria were African's highest-placed team in 33rd, one ahead of Ivory Coast, while 16th-ranked Mexico led the way for CONCACAF.

Three-times continental champions Nigeria dropped to 67th after failing to qualify for next year's African Nations Cup.

India dropped two spots to 162nd, with 142 points.

They ended the 2018 World Cup qualifiers on a disappointing note, with seven defeats in eight matches. They signed off their campaign with a 1-2 loss to Turkmenistan.

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