England rise to highest-ever FIFA ranking as new top 10 confirmed
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England have risen to their highest ever FIFA ranking after an unbeaten Euro 2024 qualifying campaign.
The Three Lions finished top of Group C with 20 points from eight games and will be in pot one after earning the right to be seeded at the showpiece in Germany.
England's last defeat was the World Cup quarter-final against France in Qatar and their fine run has seen them climb the FIFA rankings.
England are now in third place after the last rankings were released by FIFA on Thursday.
World champions Argentina once again lead the pack, with France also unmoved in second place.
But Brazil have dropped two places below both England and Belgium into fifth spot, having failed to win any of their last four fixtures.
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The Netherlands and Portugal have swapped places, while Spain, Italy and Croatia remain the final three sides in the top three.
Here is the top 10 in full:
1. Argentina
2.France
3.England
4.Belgium
5.Brazil
6.Netherlands
7.Portugal
8.Spain
9.Italy
10.Croatia
England have been third before on two different occasions, once between August and September 2012 and a second instance between September and October 2021.
However, Gareth Southgate is not resting on his laurels as he wants England to be the No.1 ranked nation in the world.
"With the games at the weekend, we might be ranked third in the world at the minute but we’re two places off where we need to be so we can’t waste games," Southgate said, as per TNT Sports.
"If we’re going to be a top team, then the level of performance has got to be spot-on every time.
"Am I driven by being ranked No.1 Yes, because ultimately you achieve that through consistency. Also, it sets behaviours every day on the training pitch, off the training pitch.
"If you are going to be the top-ranked team, there’s no room for sloppiness or casualness. That’s got to be our drive."
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