The Socceroos slipped from 21st to 22nd in the new table - but nearest rivals Japan plunged 11 places from 19 to 30, with South Korea in 34th spot.

Meanwhile World and European champions Spain remain top, while Germany have leapfrogged the Netherlands into second.

Fellow European heavyweights Portugal and Italy moved up one spot each to sixth and eighth respectively, while Denmark also climbed one place to push Argentina down to 11th.

The changes mean Uruguay (fourth) and Brazil (seventh) are the only non-European nations in the top 10. England (fifth) and Croatia (ninth) are the other teams in the top 10.

FIFA said the changes were due to the devaluation of matches from previous years, as none of the major European and South American countries in the top 10 played a match in the last month.

Elsewhere, Zambia's victorious Africa Cup of Nations campaign saw them soar 28 places to 43rd, making them the African continent's fourth highest ranked nation.

Ivory Coast, who lost Sunday's Afcon final in a penalty shoot-out, remain Africa's highest-ranked team at 15th.