Brazil start 2006 still on top

Only 21 matches - 17 from 2005 and four this year - have been taken into account for the first FIFA World Ranking in 2006.

As expected, the effects of the games at the start of the World Cup year are minimal, with very few changes in position among the top 50.

Even the South Asian Football Federation Championship - the most important tournament in the past four weeks - has failed to rock the boat in the rankings.

However, winners India (118th, up 9) and runners-up Bangladesh (143rd, up 17), have managed to improve their standing considerably. Qatar (89th, up 6) and Uganda (96th, up 5) have also leapt up five or more places.

Brazil continue to dominate at the top, followed by the Czech Republic and the Netherlands at a respectful distance of 40 points.

Malta lost one place in this month's rankings. The national team is now sharing the 119th position with Cape Verde on 371 points.

The other European countries trailing Malta in the list are Liechtenstein (123rd, down 1), Andorra (126th, down 1), Faroe Islands (132nd), Kazakhstan (137th), Luxembourg (151st, down 1) and San Marino (156th, down 1).

The composition of the top 50 has changed little as a consequence of the minor movements with UEFA represented by 25 teams, CAF with 9, CONMEBOL and CONCACAF with 6 each and AFC with 5.

The forthcoming African Cup of Nations with World Cup finalists Angola, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo and Tunisia promises to cause a few waves before next month's FIFA rankings.