Romania will move up to the 8th place in the FIFA World Ranking of the best men’s football teams in the world when it is officially published on Thursday, July 9, according to ESPN.

Romania thus returns to the top 10 best football teams in the world, for the first time since 2000. Ironically, Romania hasn’t qualified to a World Cup or a European Championship in the past 15 years, but is better ranked than former world champions Spain, and recent Copa America winners Chile, as well as Italy and France, two of Europe’s strongest national teams.

Romania’s place in the ranking is due to FIFA’s scoring methodology, which takes into consideration the teams’ results in official matches over the past 12 month. The previous results (over a period of three years) are discounted.

Romania had a good run in the past 12 months, in its quest to qualify to the European Championship in 2016. The Romanian team is top of its Euro 2016 qualifying group with an undefeated record.

Romania’s highest position in the FIFA ranking was in 1997 when it reached the 3rd spot.

Argentina, the Copa America runner-up, will move to the first place in the new FIFA Ranking while Germany will fall to second place. Belgium, Colombia, The Netherlands, Brazil and Portugal are also ahead of Romania in the new ranking. England and Wales complete the Top 10.

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editor@romania-insider.com

(Photo source: FRF)