For the fourth year running, Belgium's national football team (commonly referred to as the Red Devils) was placed at the top of the FIFA world rankings.
The world's no.1 team first occupied the top spot in March 2016 and has since dominated the rankings – propelled by consistent performances on the international stage.
The FIFA ranking was created in 1993 and this latest achievement marks Belgium out as one of the most successful national teams in the modern era. Only Brazil and Spain have featured more in the premier position, 12 and six times, respectively.
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It should be noted that the battle for top position was particularly tight this year, with Belgium only coming out on top by the narrowest of margins. Brazil came a close second just 2.1 points behind. Rounding out the top five, France took third place, England fourth, and Argentina fifth. European champions Italy are sixth.
However, Belgium risks being edged out of the top spot by Brazil, who play four world cup qualifiers between January and March. Belgium has only two friendly matches scheduled in March. The next classification will be published 10 February.
It should be noted that a record 1,116 international matches were played in 2021 after the 2020 calendar was thrown into disarray by the pandemic, with just 352 matches taking place in that year.
