Northern ireland

FIFA World Rankings:  World champions Argentina maintained their lead in the FIFA World Rankings, with the top ten teams largely unchanged, as FIFA released the new rankings.

After a 1-0 win over Ecuador and a 3-0 victory against Bolivia in its opening World Cup CONMEBOL zone qualifiers, Argentina solidified its top position. Meanwhile, second-placed France dropped points following a 2-1 defeat to Germany in a friendly, reports Xinhua.

Brazil retained its third spot, with England (4th), Belgium (5th), and Croatia (6th) also keeping their respective positions.