Argentina top as South America dominate FIFA rankings

Argentina's national soccer team players Erik Lamela, Ezequiel Lavezzi, Nicolas Gaitan and Angel Correa (L-R) present the new Argentine national soccer jerseys for the FIFA World Cup 2018 Qualifiers in Buenos Aires, Argentina, March 21, 2016. REUTERS/Enrique Marcarian/Files

ZURICH (Reuters) - Argentina moved top as South America dominated the monthly FIFA rankings on Thursday with five teams, half of the continent's total, in the top 10.

Argentina's World Cup qualifying wins away at Chile and home to Bolivia dislodged Belgium, who had been leading for the previous five months but dropped into second.

Despite the defeat, Chile climbed to third, an all-time high, with Colombia one place behind them in fourth, Brazil seventh and Uruguay ninth.

The rankings did not make such happy reading for Asia, who had only two teams in the top 50, Iran in 42nd and regional champions Australia in 50th.

Algeria were African's highest-placed team in 33rd, one ahead of Ivory Coast, while 16th-ranked Mexico led the way for CONCACAF.

Three-times continental champions Nigeria dropped to 67th after failing to qualify for next year's African Nations Cup.

(Writing by Brian Homewood; Editing by John O'Brien)