Scotland up 24 places to 50th in latest Fifa world rankings

[ian1964 10,563]

Gordon Strachan's Scotland side have climbed 24 places to 50th in the latest world rankings.

 

The Scots were boosted by last month's World Cup qualification victory in Croatia, courtesy of Robert Snodgrass's goal.

 

And they sit four places behind Wales and six off of the Republic of Ireland.

 

Spain top the rankings, while England are down six places to 15th, and Northern Ireland up to 111th.

 

Scotland can no longer qualify for next year's finals in Brazil, but the victory ensures the Scots will be in pot four for the draw for Euro 2016.

 

Strachan hailed his players following their first win of a disappointing campaign in Group A.

 

Germany remain second in the latest rankings, with Colombia climbing four places to third. Brazil, fresh from their Confederations Cup win, have risen 13 places to ninth while Croatia have slipped to eighth.

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/23177148

[der Berliner 3,424]

Neat. They (all) do have some serious challengers for the surrounding places though, which the BBC fail do give credit to ...

 

Venezuela, Albania, Costa Rica, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde Islands, Panama, Iran and the like.

 

Yes, that was a touch cynical, but the 24-place "jump" needed a bit of reality-checking too.