The Red Devils end the year in fourth place in the FIFA rankings, world champion Argentina is Team of the Year

© Isosport

The Red Devils end the year in fourth place in the final world ranking of 2023 of the World Football Association FIFA, published on Thursday.

In the previous ranking, which was published at the end of November, Belgium jumped from fifth to fourth place. Since the publication of that previous ranking, the team of national coach Domenico Tedesco, like most other countries, has no longer played. In the meantime, the draw has been made for next summer’s European Championships in Germany. The Red Devils will compete in group E against Slovakia (FIFA 45) and Romania (FIFA 43), who retained their positions. The third opponent has yet to be determined after a play-off.

The Red Devils were in first place in the FIFA rankings between October 2018 and March 2022. Belgium previously also ranked number 1 between November 2015 and March 2016. The next FIFA ranking will be published on February 15, 2024, according to the World Football Association.

Argentina remains at number one

At the very top of the barely changed ranking, world champion Argentina remains ahead of France (second). England (third) keeps Belgium (fourth) off the podium. Brazil completes the top five ahead of the Netherlands (sixth) and Portugal (seventh). Spain (eighth), Italy (ninth) and Croatia (tenth) close the top ten.

The Argentinians can also call themselves Team of the Year 2023. The country that takes first place in the FIFA rankings at the end of each calendar year receives the award. The Belgians have been crowned Team of the Year five times in the past (2015, 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021). Only Brazil (13 times) and Spain (6 times) have been in the lead more often at the end of a year since the first presentation of the award in 1993. For Argentina it is the third time (after 2007 and 2016).

© AFP

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