体坛英语新闻：Mexico climbs to No. 18 in FIFA ranking

MEXICO CITY, July 17 (Xinhua) -- Mexico climbed up two spots to No. 18 in the latest world rankings released by soccer's world governing body FIFA on Thursday.

Mexico earned a total of 930 points to rank third in the Concacaf confederation (North and Central America and the Caribbean), behind the United States, at No. 15 with 989 points, and Costa Rica, at No. 16 after moving up 12 slots, with 986 points.

The July rankings reflect the outcome of the 2014 Brazil World Cup, which ended on Sunday, the International Federation of Associated Football said.

World Cup champion Germany ranks at No. 1 with 1,724 points, followed by runner-up Argentina with 1,606 points, and the Netherlands, which climbed 12 rungs since June, in third place with 1,496 points.

2010 World Cup champion Spain, which failed to make it past the first round of this year's tournament, suffered a major setback. After occupying the No. 1 spot for four years, Spain dropped 7 places to No. 8 with 1,229 points, trailing Colombia, at No. 4 with 1,492 points, Belgium, at No. 5 with 1,401 points, Uruguay, at No. 6 with 1,330 points, and Brazil, which slipped 4 places to land at No. 7 with 1,241 points.

The teams that dropped the most in the FIFA ranking were England, which went from No. 10 to No. 20, and Italy, which went from No. 9 to No. 14.