IRELAND REMAIN UNCHANGED in the latest Fifa rankings ahead of next week’s Uefa Nations League draw.
The Boys in Green, who have not played since the 5-1 hammering by Denmark in the World Cup play-offs last November, remain 32nd on the list.
Elsewhere, Germany, Brazil and Portugal make up the top three.
England are down one place to 16th, Northern Ireland also drop a spot to 25th, Wales stay in 19th position, while Scotland are joint 32nd with Martin O’Neill’s men.
You can view the full list here.
The O’Neill saga aside, it has been an uneventful few months as far as the Irish national team is concerned.
There will be some developments on 24 January, however, when the Nations League draw takes place.
The competition proper gets underway in September 2018, with O’Neill recently indicating he would experiment by fielding a number of younger and less experienced players in the friendlies scheduled before then.
The42 has just published its first book, Behind The Lines, a collection of some of the year’s best sports stories. Pick up your copy in Eason’s, or order it here today (€10):