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Persianleague
- Apr 19, 2002
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Iran remained the highest ranked Asian side at 32st (down 1). Japan (33, up 5) , Saudi Arabia (34, up 1), and Korea Republic (41) are the only other Asian teams in the top-50 although China, who are currently ranked 51nd (up 1), are on the verge of joining them.

The new FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking sees a two-way battle royale hotting up for second place behind clear leaders and reigning world champions France. Brazil move back ahead of Argentina by a whisker, with just a one-point advantage over their South American archrivals. While Brazil have won all four of their friendlies in 2002, restating their credentials most recently against Yugoslavia, the Argentines are still looking for their first victory of the year with their two matches so far having ended in stalemate.
Close competition behind the top three ensures yet more interest. Colombia (4th, up 1), Portugal (5th, up 1), and Mexico (7th, up 1) all manage to climb one rung further up the ladder, whereas Italy (6th, down 2) surrender last month’s gains. Despite a victory over the USA, Germany also slide downwards (12th, down 2) as a result of the tight points standings. The delicate balance will probably not be clarified before the imminent FIFA World Cup™ finals.
April’s biggest movers include Japan (33rd, up 5) and Finland (42nd, up 5), who both climb 5 places. In the lower reaches, Mozambique (124th, up 6), Belize (160th, up 8), and Papua New Guinea (180th, up 16) all make notable inroads. In doing so, Belize reach their highest ever position in the ranking. In relative terms, alongside Papua New Guinea, Sri Lanka (143rd, up 3) and Botswana (138th, up 4) register the biggest gains this month.

http://www.fifa.com/rank/main_E_latest.html