ZURICH, Dec 19: Brazil won the top team title and Ghana the award for the most improved team in the 2005 FIFA world rankings published Monday. World champions Brazil finished top for the fourth year in a row while unbeaten Ghana’s five wins and three draws, which saw them reach their first World Cup finals, improved 27 places to finish 50th.

FIFA Rankings

1. Brazil 840, 2. Czech Republic 796, 3. Holland 791, 4. Argentina 772, 5. Mexico 768, Spain 768, France 768, 8. USA 767, 9. England 757, 10. Portugal 754, 11. Turkey 748, 12. Italy 741, 13. Denmark 733, 14. Sweden 732, 15. Japan 715, 16. Germany 708, Greece 708, 18. Uruguay 706, 19. Iran 703, 20. Croatia 701

21. Costa Rica 699, 22. Poland 696, 23. Cameroon 695, 24. Colombia 692, Ireland 692, Nigeria 692, 27. Romania 686, 28. Tunisia 685, 29. South Korea 680, 30. Senegal 672, Paraguay 672, 32. Egypt 665, 33. Saudi Arabia 663, 34. Russia 662, 35. Switzerland 656, 36. Morocco 655, 37. Ecuador 651, 38. Norway 649, 39. Bulgaria 638, 40. Ukraine 627

41. Honduras 628, 42. Jamaica 626, Ivory Coast 626, 44. Israel 622, 45. Slovakia 621, 45. Finland 614, 47. Serbia and Montenegro 612, 48. Australia 610, 49. South Africa 609, 50. Ghana 608

Other 2006 World Cup qualifiers

51. Trinidad and Tobago 608, 56. Togo 585, 61. Angola 570.—AFP