More bad news for the Three Lions after summer failures of the U21s and U20s and before vital World Cup qualifiers
England are about to slump to their worst world ranking in five
years, just as the pressure to qualify for the World Cup begins to build
on Roy Hodgson’s men.
A year ago, the Three Lions were rated by FIFA, the game's world governing body, as the third best team on the planet.
When the new list is published on Thursday, they will have slipped to 13th.
England have not been so low since Fabio Capello took over a team that was paying the price for the Euro 2008 qualifying debacle under Steve McClaren.
And after the summer wipe-outs at both the Under-21 European Championship and Under-20 World Cup - England's teams played a combined six matches without a single win - the heat is on Hodgson and his men to put together a run of wins in the autumn's World Cup qualifiers.
Brazil have climbed to eighth after their Confederations Cup triumph, and beaten finalists Spain remain well clear of the pack, despite their emphatic defeat in Rio's Maracana on Sunday.
England, meanwhile, will drop below the likes of Greece and the Ivory Coast.
It will be the first time they have been outside the top 10 since October 2008, when they began their winning run in World Cup qualification under Capello.
Hodgson’s team reached third – their highest ever ranking – last August, on the back of being unbeaten at Euro 2012, where they were knocked out on penalties at the quarter-final stage by Italy.
But the rolling calculation method over four years that is used means last June’s games are now given less weight, sending England plummeting.
Although the FIFA rankings have been derided they will be used to decide the top seeds for next summer's World Cup, when the draw for the finals is made in December.
With Brazil already the seeded side in Group A, it means England - whose place at the finals remains far from assured - need to get back into the top seven by the time the November rankings are published if they are to be in the elite section.
England kick-off the World Cup season with a Wembley friendly against Scotland on August 14.
The Brazil 2014 qualifying campaign then restarts at home to Moldova before a trip to Kiev to play Ukraine in September.
England end their bid for Brazil the following month with potentially nerve-shredding home dates against Poland and Montenegro.
A year ago, the Three Lions were rated by FIFA, the game's world governing body, as the third best team on the planet.
When the new list is published on Thursday, they will have slipped to 13th.
England have not been so low since Fabio Capello took over a team that was paying the price for the Euro 2008 qualifying debacle under Steve McClaren.
And after the summer wipe-outs at both the Under-21 European Championship and Under-20 World Cup - England's teams played a combined six matches without a single win - the heat is on Hodgson and his men to put together a run of wins in the autumn's World Cup qualifiers.
Brazil have climbed to eighth after their Confederations Cup triumph, and beaten finalists Spain remain well clear of the pack, despite their emphatic defeat in Rio's Maracana on Sunday.
England, meanwhile, will drop below the likes of Greece and the Ivory Coast.
It will be the first time they have been outside the top 10 since October 2008, when they began their winning run in World Cup qualification under Capello.
Hodgson’s team reached third – their highest ever ranking – last August, on the back of being unbeaten at Euro 2012, where they were knocked out on penalties at the quarter-final stage by Italy.
But the rolling calculation method over four years that is used means last June’s games are now given less weight, sending England plummeting.
Although the FIFA rankings have been derided they will be used to decide the top seeds for next summer's World Cup, when the draw for the finals is made in December.
With Brazil already the seeded side in Group A, it means England - whose place at the finals remains far from assured - need to get back into the top seven by the time the November rankings are published if they are to be in the elite section.
England kick-off the World Cup season with a Wembley friendly against Scotland on August 14.
The Brazil 2014 qualifying campaign then restarts at home to Moldova before a trip to Kiev to play Ukraine in September.
England end their bid for Brazil the following month with potentially nerve-shredding home dates against Poland and Montenegro.
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