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The December edition of FIFA Rankings are out. Things have changed quite a lot since the last one and the 2022 FIFA World Cup has had its effects on the rankings.
Argentina won the World Cup after beating France on penalties in one of the best finals in the history of the tournament. Lionel Messi has completed football while Kylian Mbappe has established himself as the next big superstar of the game.
Brazil were the odds-on favorites to win the World Cup heading into the tournament but their journey was cut short. The same applies to several other high-profile sides that failed to make a mark.
Without further ado, let's take a look at the FIFA World Rankings for the month of December.
#10 Spain - 1,693.43 points
Spain have fallen three places and crash landed at 10th in the FIFA Rankings. La Roja's rather lackluster outing at the 2022 FIFA World Cup has definitely affected their rank. After thumping Costa Rica 7-0 in their World Cup opener, big things were expected of Luis Enrique and co.
However, they failed to win the remaining two group games, drawing to Germany and losing to Japan. They eventually lost to Morocco on penalties in the Round of 16 and ended the World Cup with a single win.
#9 Portugal - 1702.54 points
Portugal were on a roll in the 2022 FIFA World Cup until they stumbled upon a nigh-on immovable Morocco in the quarter-finals. Fernando Santos' men played some scintillating football in the tournament and their 6-1 win over Switzerland in the round of 16 round was the most emphatic one of the knockout stages.
Portugal have gained 25.98 rating points this time around and have retained their place in ninth in the FIFA Rankings.
#8 Italy - 1723.55 points
Italy failed to qualify for the 2022 FIFA World Cup and missed out on football's showpiece event for a second successive time. The FIFA ranking of the reigning champions of Europe were expected to take a hit but it has not proved to be as brutal as many would have expected.
The Azzurri have only fallen a couple of places from sixth to eighth after losing 2.59 rating points.
#7 Croatia - 1727.63 points
Croatia have leapfrogged five places in the FIFA Rankings to make an emphatic return to the top 10. The Croats had yet another excellent World Cup and made it to the semi-finals of football's biggest tournament. They are the biggest gainers in the top 10, securing 81.99 rating points.
Croatia are currently seventh with 1727.63 points. Their perseverance and technical brilliance continue to pay dividends.
#6 Netherlands - 1740.89 points
The Netherlands have become a solid unit under Louis van Gaal. They produced a handful of impressive performances at the 2022 FIFA World Cup. The Dutch side pushed Argentina to the limits in the quarter-finals before falling in the shootout.
The Netherlands have gained 46.38 rating points and have climbed two places and are currently sixth in the FIFA Rankings.
#5 England - 1774.07 points
England have burgeoned into a footballing powerhouse under Gareth Southgate. They have enjoyed deep runs in major tournaments in the last four years. They have gained 45.60 points since the last edition of the FIFA Rankings came out.
But despite that, the Three Lions have only managed to retain their place in fifth in the rankings.
#4 Belgium - 1781.30 points
Belgium were at the top of the FIFA Rankings for three years before Brazil displaced them from the top in March earlier this year. The Belgian Red Devils have been sitting at second since.
But after a nightmarish outing at the 2022 FIFA World Cup, Belgium have now fallen two places and are currently fourth in the FIFA Rankings.
They were eliminated in the group stage of the World Cup and ended up losing 35.41 rating points in the bargain.
#3 France - 1823.46 points
France came agonizingly close to winning the World Cup for a second successive time. Kylian Mbappe's hat-trick in the final helped them take the final against Argentina to a shootout. But they eventually fell to La Albiceleste on penalties.
Les Bleus, however, impressed massively at football's showpiece event, gaining 63..68 points and a place to land at third in the FIFA Rankings.
#2 Argentina - 1838.43 points
Argentina's World Cup triumph has not earned them the top spot in the FIFA Rankings. La Albiceleste were inarguably the most impressive side in Qatar, silencing their critics and beating some of the best teams in the tournament.
Lionel Messi won the Golden Ball given to the best player of the World Cup. Argentina have gained 64.55 points and are now second in the FIFA Rankings.
#1 Brazil - 1840.77 points
Despite getting eliminated in the quarter-finals of the World Cup, Brazil have managed to retain their position at the top of the FIFA Rankings. They have a 2.34 point lead over their neighbors Argentina and have lost only 0.53 points since the last edition of the rankings was published.
