Republic of Ireland finish 2016 at five-year high in FIFA World Rankings

The latest FIFA world football rankings have confirmed the Republic of Ireland will finish the year in the country’s best position for five years.

Martin O’Neill’s men enter 2017 in 23^rd place – just reward for reaching the knockout stages of Euro 2016 and remaining unbeaten through the first four matches of the qualifying campaign for the 2018 World Cup.

Argentina continue to head the rankings with Brazil second and Germany third. Of Ireland's main rivals in World Cup Qualifying Group D, only Wales (12th) are currently ranked higher. Austria are in 31^st place, while Serbia languish in 44^th. Ireland are the 14^th ranked European team.

Ireland’s win over Austria in November bounced the men in green up to 23^rd and they maintained that placing in the most recent list, just ten places behind England (13^th). Of Ireland's remaining World Cup opponents in 2017, Georgia stand at 118^th while Moldova are 164^th.

After failing to defeat a higher-ranked opponent in a competitive fixture between 2001 and 2015, the Boys in Green have now seen off Germany, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Italy and Austria in little over a year. This has contributed hugely to the rankings improvement, up 19 places from the corresponding 2015 list. Republic of Ireland were 22^nd at the end of 2011.