Local footballers slip in world rankings

ZURICH:  Trinidad and Tobago, the reigning Caribbean Cup holders, have slipped to 54th on the world football list. But Jamaica retained their number 48 spot in the world and number one rating in the Caribbean Football Union (CFU). In FIFA’s June ratings, the Jamaicans, who re-entered FIFA’s top-50 in April after more than a year outside of that range solidified their position as regional leaders, after nearest rivals Trinidad and Tobago dropped two places. Trinidad and Tobago led the CFU rankings for over three years from February 2000, until they were overtaken by Jamaica two months ago, following their failure to qualify for the CONCACAF Gold Cup. Cuba, currently ranked 63rd, can significantly alter their position with favourable results at next month’s CONCACAF Gold Cup, where other Caribbean sides Jamaica and Martinique will appear. Haiti, 84th in the world, and Barbados (94th) are the only other CFU teams in FIFA’s top-100.

There is no positional change in the CFU’s top-10 although all the teams slipped a few places on the world list. St. Lucia, 110th in the world, are sixth in the CFU, followed by St Kitts and Nevis (119th), Grenada (141st) and Suriname (147th), and St. Vincent and the Grenadines (153rd). Five-time world champions Brazil remain world number one, ahead of France, with Spain third. Argentina climbed one place to fourth, followed by the Netherlands, Germany, Turkey and England, with reigning CONCACAF Gold Cup champions United States ninth, and Czech Republic 10th. Italy are joint 11th with Mexico, who slipped two places from ninth on the May list.

RANKING OF CFU TEAMS
(World ranking in bracket)
1 Jamaica (48th); 2 Trinidad & Tobago (54); 3 Cuba (63); 4 Haiti (84); 5 Barbados (94); 6 St. Lucia (110); 7 St. Kitts /Nevis (119); 8 Grenada (141); 9 Suriname (147); 10 St. Vincent / Grenadines (153); 11 Dominican Republic (157); 12 Antigua/Barbuda (159); 13 British Virgin Islands (166); 14 Cayman Islands (173); 15 Guyana (177); 16 Bermuda (179); 17 Dominica (181); 18 Netherlands Antilles (184); 19 Bahamas (190); 20 Aruba (194); 21 Anguilla (197);
22 US Virgin Islands (198); 23 Puerto Rico (200); 24 Turks /Caicos Islands (203); 25 Montserrat (204).