Jamaica had one of the biggest falls in the latest FIFA ranking released yesterday.

On the heels of three heavy losses in the last nine months, Jamaica slipped 32 places to 78th.

This is the lowest Jamaica have been since October 1995 when they were ranked 81st.

Jamaica's worst ranking was 96th in December 1994 and their best was 27th in August 1998, shortly after their first and only World Cup in France.

Jamaica is also now the Caribbean's number two team as Trinidad and Tobago, which made their World Cup debut this summer, are ranked 64th.

World Cup winners Italy have soared 11 places to second but 2002 champions Brazil held on to the top spot despite losing in the quarter-finals in Germany.

France, beaten on penalties by Italy in Sunday's final, rose four places to fourth while Argentina, knocked out in the quarter-finals, are up six places in third.

Germany were also big movers, rising 10 places to ninth * their first top 10 placing for more than two years.

Meanwhile, Jamaica's women's team dropped three places to 81st. That list is topped by Germany followed by the U.S.A., Norway, Brazil and Sweden.

The first post-World Cup rankings were based on new criteria with more consideration taken of the importance of the match and the strength of opponents.

The previous ranking system had long been criticised and was not helped by the first-round exits of the then second-ranked Czech Republic and fifth-rated United States in Germany.

FIFA World Ranking

1 Brazil

2 Italy (+11)

3 Argentina (+6)

4 France (+4)

5 England (+5)

6 Netherlands (-3)

7 Spain (-2)

8 Portugal (-1)

9 Germany (+10)

10 Czech Republic (-

11 Nigeria

12 Cameroon (+3)

13 Switzerland (+22)

14 Uruguay (+

15 Ukraine (+30)

16 USA (-11)

17 Denmark (-6)

18 Mexico (-14)

19 Paraguay (+14)

20 Côte d'Ivoire (+12)

21 Colombia (+6)

22 Sweden (-6)

23 Croatia

24 Guinea (+27)

25 Ghana (+23)

26 Romania (-1)

27 Turkey (-13)

28 Ecuador (+11)

29 Egypt (-12)

30 Poland (-1)

31 Tunisia (-10)

32 Greece (-12)

33 Australia (+9)

34 Russia (+3)

35 Senegal (-7)

36 Serbia (+

37 Bulgaria

38 Honduras (+4)

39 Ireland (-

40 Morocco (-4 )

41 Scotland (+1

42 Peru (+24)

43 Bosnia (+20)

44 Slovakia (-3)

45 Costa Rica (-19)

46 Chile (+1

47 Iran (-24)

48 Togo (+13)

49 Japan (-31)

50 Uzbekistan (+10)

64 Trinidad (-17)

78 Jamaica (-32)