England handed surprise new Fifa ranking after Euro 2024 final defeat – and Spain aren’t even best team in Europe
FIFA have released their latest world rankings – and it led to a surprise move UP for England.
The Three Lions were beaten 2-1 by Spain in the Euro 2024 final on Sunday.
But that triumph was not even enough to make Luis de la Fuente’s side the highest-ranked side in Europe.
The Fifa world rankings were introduced in 1992 by the governing body and are worked out via a points system.
Points are awarded based on the results of all Fifa-recognised full international matches with Argentina being top of the pile since April.
The 2022 World Cup winners cemented their position in top spot by retaining their Copa America crown on Sunday.
Lautaro Martinez’s extra-time strike was enough to secure them a 1-0 victory.
That was just hours after Mikel Oyarzabal had broken English hearts with his 86th-minute winner for Spain in Berlin.
However, despite lifting the silverware, Spain still find themselves behind France in the new batch of rankings.
Les Bleus were actually beaten by the Spanish 2-1 in the Euro semi-final last week.
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That means that La Roja, who have climbed five places, only sit third.
And they are closely followed by managerless England.
The Three Lions were fifth, but a second-straight Euro finals appearance has seen them leapfrog Brazil into fourth.
The Samba Boys have dropped down a spot following their quarter final elimination from Copa America.
Venezuela were one of the surprise packages of Copa America.
They enjoyed a run to the quarter final – only to be defeated on penalties by Canada.
And that has led to them climbing a massive 17 places from 37th.
Meanwhile, back in the top ten, Belgium and Croatia have each slipped down three places.
Maybe Kane really is cursed as trophy drought goes on... he may never get a better chance with England
IT now seems as though he really is cursed. Along with the rest of us, writes Charlie Wyett.
Tragically, unbelievably, Harry Kane’s agonising search for a trophy still continues and you know have to wonder whether he will ever actually manage it.
Certainly for England, in any case.
Kane has now suffered defeat in three major club finals and two finals of the European Championships.
Last night, the Three Lions captain was so ineffective that he was replaced by Ollie Watkins just after the hour.
Like much of this tournament, he really struggled to make the impact when England needed him, not that he had much service.
He had one shot in the first half and that was Rodri, who subsequently injured himself and went off at the break.
When Cole Palmer struck that brilliant equaliser, Kane was off on his feet from the bench, only for the national team to get another kick in the bo**ocks at the end.
Kane was substituted in both the games against Switzerland and Holland which England went on to win but on this occasion, he could only witness a gut-wrenching twist just when it looked as though Gareth Southgate’s team had dug their way out of trouble.
The Bayern Munich striker suffered the World Cup 2018 semi-final loss against Croatia, endured heartbreak against Italy in the Euro2020 final and then missed from the spot in the World Cup 2022 quarter-final against France.
He really thought that this was his time, even though England did not play well in Germany.
Kane will know that he will have more opportunities with England. But not many more.
The World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico seems a long way away and it will surely be under a new manager. Will England be better than they are now? Probably not.
And we are all left to wonder how much better England would have been with a fit and firing Kane at his very best.
Read the full verdict on the curse of Harry Kane…
Or check out all of Charlie Wyett’s Euro 2024 stories…