We have some bad news and some good news for you. The bad news is that there is no good news: England have dropped to 20th in the FIFA World Rankings.
Given the team’s wretched performance at the 2014 World Cup, a lesser ranking is to be expected - but in dropping from the dizzy, and arguably unwarranted, heights of 10th, the Three Lions’ plummet down the official chart of international football is a heavy one.
Bizarrely, England’s previous place was five better than ludicrously talented Holland, who, conversely, have rocketed from 15th to 3rd to place behind Argentina - the South Americans benefiting from a good World Cup themselves - and new world champions Germany who come out on top.
Yes, even former titans Spain were not safe in the cut, slithering south to 8th and now having teams which made it to the quarter final stages (Columbia, France, Belgium) hovering above them.
As for England, if they remain outside the top nine European nations when the draw for the next World Cup qualifying campaign is made next July, they face being unseeded, with the real possibility of being grouped with the likes of Spain and Italy.
Then again, a chance to avoid dreary games against San Marino and other lowly islanders? Perhaps it’s not such bad news at all.
See the rankings in full here
[Images: Rex]
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