ZURICH, December 18- World champions Germany comfortably top the pile of the FIFA national team rankings revealed Thursday despite a slump in form since their rampant campaign in Brazil as Kenya underwhelming year saw them slip down two places to 116.
The top three remain unchanged since September with Lionel Messi’s beaten World Cup finalists Argentina second and Colombia in third in the final rankings of 2014.
Up-and-coming Belgium are fourth ahead of their northern Neighbours the Netherlands while the humiliated World Cup hosts Brazil round off the year in a respectable sixth.
Euro 2016 hosts France are seventh as Didier Deschamps’ solid team continue to impress while World Player of the Year Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal are level with them.
After years atop the heap, Spain end 2014 in ninth, but look to be in fine health with 2015 coming into view.
Finally Luis Suarez’s Uruguay have done enough to climb back into tenth for the year end rankings.
There have been some interesting changes in the composition of the top 50 over the course of the year. Of the confederations, this year’s winners are Europe (with 30 teams in the top 50, up 4) and Africa (11 teams, up 2), while CONMEBOL (6 teams), CONCACAF (3) and the AFC (0) all have two teams fewer in the top 50 than last year.
The AFC has dropped out of the top 50 altogether, and the OFC are also unrepresented. The best-ranked teams by confederation are Germany (1st), Argentina (2nd), Costa Rica (16th), Algeria (18th), Iran (51st) and New Zealand (134th).
FIFA standings:
1. Germany, 2. Argentina, 3 Colombia, 4 Belgium, 5. Netherlands, 6. Brazil, 7. France, 7. Portugal, 9. Spain, 10. Uruguay. Kenya 116