THE REPUBLIC OF IRELAND remain unchanged at 26th place in the latest FIFA World Rankings released on Wednesday morning.
Giovanni Trapattoni’s side have not yet had a chance to bounce back from their disappointing Euro 2012 campaign which saw them plummet outside the top 20, an eight-place drop from 18th in the June standings.
There’s no change in the top two with world and double European champions Spain still leading the way ahead of Germany, who visit Dublin on 12 October for the second game of the 2014 World Cup qualifying campaign.
Roy Hodgson’s England jump up one place to third, leapfrogging Uruguay, while it’s as you were for the rest of the top 10 with no changes for Portugal, Italy, Argentina, Netherlands, Croatia and Denmark.
Ireland’s next opponents Serbia move up by two places to 35th. The sides meet next Wednesday, 15 August, in Belgrade for a friendly.