As of April 2019, which of the following country ranks first in the latest FIFA World Football Rankings as per the available information?

Correct option is B

The correct answer is (b) Belgium

Explanation:

• As of the April 4, 2019 update by FIFA, Belgium retained its position at the top of the World Football Rankings.

• Belgium secured the first rank with 1,737 points, maintaining a very slim lead over the 2018 World Cup winners, France.

• The top three remained unchanged from the previous ranking, with Brazil occupying the third spot.

• This period marked a dominant era for the "Golden Generation" of Belgian football, characterized by high-scoring matches and consistency in international tournaments.

• FIFA rankings are calculated based on the Elo rating system, which considers match results, match importance, and the strength of opponents.

Information Booster:

• Belgium first reached the No. 1 spot in the FIFA rankings in November 2015, becoming the first team to do so without winning a World Cup or a Continental trophy.

• In the same April 2019 update, India climbed two spots to reach the 101st rank globally.

Additional Knowledge:England (Option a) * In the April 2019 rankings, England moved up one place to reach the 4th position, leapfrogging Croatia.

• This was a result of their strong performances in the UEFA Euro 2020 qualifiers.

Germany (Option c) * Germany was ranked 13th in April 2019, showing a slight recovery (up 3 spots) after a disappointing 2018 World Cup campaign.

• Despite their historical dominance, they were well outside the top 10 during this specific period.

Austria (Option d) * Austria faced a significant drop in the April 2019 rankings, falling 11 places to the 34th position.

• This drop was primarily due to losses in their opening matches of the Euro 2020 qualifying rounds.