Holland knock Spain off top spot in FIFA rankings
London: Spain’s reign as the world’s number-one ranked team has come to an end, with Holland replacing them at the top of the latest FIFA rankings chart. Holland has become the seventh team to hold the No.1 spot. Germany remains in third position, while England has jumped from sixth to fourth, the Independent reports. Following Uruguay’s Copa America success, they have replaced Brazil in fifth spot, as Mano Menezes’ side drop a place to sixth. Italy, Portugal, Argentina and Croatia make up the rest of the Top 10.
The Dutch became the seventh team to head the rankings since they were introduced in 1993 after Argentina, Brazil, France, Germany, Italy and Spain.
Brazil’s 3-2 friendly defeat by Germany cost them two places as they dropped from fourth to sixth, meaning that Uruguay, who remained fifth, became South America’s highest-ranked team.
Rankings (last month’s positions in brackets)
1. (2) Netherlands, 2. (1) Spain, 3. (3) Germany, 4. (6) England, 5. (5) Uruguay, 6. (4) Brazil, 7. (8) Italy, 8. (7) Portugal, 9. (10) Argentina, 10. (9) Croatia.(Agencies)
Rooney’s hair transplant boosting his goal scoring skills!
London: Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney’s new hair transplant will help him score more goals this season, his former United and England teammate Gary Neville has said. Rooney, who had a 30,000 pound hair transplant surgery in June, has made a brilliant start in United’s opening matches of the Premier League. The 25-year-old had also pointed to his new barnet after heading home the third goal in Monday’s 3-0 victory over Tottenham Hotspur. “Last year that would have skidded off Wayne Rooney’s head. But that new hair helped in getting the goal,’’ Sky Sports quoted Neville, as saying. Rooney’s performance was short of satisfactory last year, with miserable World Cup displays and a crisis at the outset of last season. (ANI)