ZURICH, Feb 14 (Reuters) - World Cup holders Italy have knocked Brazil off the top of FIFA's world rankings after four
and a half years.
Brazil, who won the 2002 World Cup but were eliminated by
France in last year's quarter-finals, lost top spot after a 2-0
friendly defeat by Portugal last week, FIFA said on Wednesday.
Italy were last top in November 1993, just three months
after rankings were introduced by the game's ruling body.
The rankings, which are used to determine seedings at
international tournaments, are based on the results of the past
four years with extra weight given to more recent matches.
The strength of the opposition and the nature of the
competition are also considered, with tournament and qualifying
matches earning more points than friendly games.
The six teams below Italy and Brazil remain unchanged, with
Argentina, France, Germany, England, the Netherlands and
Portugal occupying spots three to eight.
FIFA World Ranking as of February 14, 2007
1, Italy
2, Brazil
3, Argentina
4, France
5, Germany
6, England
7, Netherlands
8, Portugal
9, Czech Republic
10, Spain.
