Belgium on the rise in UEFA rankings

[Philips]

elgium are the big risers in the latest version of UEFA's interim national team rankings, with world champions Germany and holders Spain still occupying the top two places.

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Wins against Cyprus and Israel have taken Marc Wilmots' side to the top of UEFA EURO 2016 qualifying Group B, and up into fifth place in the national team coefficient* table – a rise of six places since the last rankings in December. Indeed, Belgium have climbed ten places from their position of 16th when the draw was made in February 2014.

Germany remain top of the table with a coefficient of 39.336, with Spain second on 36.803. England (35.963) are in third position – that trio are all non-movers from the December rankings – with the Netherlands (34.219) up one place to fourth, just ahead of Belgium. Elsewhere in the top ten, Portugal (33.588) climb one position to seventh while Italy (33.525) have slipped from fourth to eighth.

There are a number of other significant movers inside the top 20 with Romania (12th), Austria (13th) and Switzerland (14th) all climbing three places and Sweden up five to 16th. Bosnia and Herzegovina also rise five places, to 20th – although still well down on their ninth-placed ranking at the time of the draw.

Meanwhile, the Czech Republic drop three places to tenth, Ukraine are down five in 15th and Poland are now 17th, having been 14th in December. Having lost at home to Wales and Belgium in the last week, Israel are down 12 places, to 24th.

Overall, compared to the rankings at the time of the draw UEFA EURO 2016 hosts France have risen five places from 11 to six, while Slovakia are now 11th having been 25th in February 2014. Romania (12th now; 26th in February 2014) and Austria (13th now; 27th in February 2014) have also made significant gains; at the other end of the scale, Greece were seventh in the coefficient table at the time of the draw and are now 27th.

*The national team coefficients are calculated on a country's recent results. In the current rankings, 20% weighting is given to UEFA EURO 2012 results (qualifying/final tournament), and 40% each to the 2014 FIFA World Cup (qualifying/final tournament) and UEFA EURO 2016 (qualifying).