WORLD Cup qualification has also come with a FIFA rankings boost for the Socceroos who have moved up to No.39 in the world - their best spot in four years.

WORLD Cup qualification has also come with a FIFA rankings boost for the Socceroos who have moved up to No.39 in the world - their best spot in four years.

A draw and win over Honduras in the last month saw Australia book their spot in Russia and rise four positions.

The Socceroos hadn’t been ranked as high since 2013 when they reached No.36 in the world.

They’re the second rated team in Asia behind fellow Cup qualifiers Iran (No.32) with Japan (No.55), South Korea (No.59) and Saudi Arabia (No.63) also on their way to Russia.

World champions Germany stayed top of an unchanged leading five nations ahead of the December 1 World Cup draw.

Switzerland are back in the top 10, up three places to eighth as one of the winners of the European zone play-offs, who have all improved in football’s ruling body latest list.

African qualifiers Senegal are among the biggest climbers, up nine places to 23rd - their highest position in the rankings - to leapfrog Tunisia (27th) and Egypt (31st) as Africa’s top-ranked nation.

Germany head Brazil, Portugal, Argentina and Belgium, while Spain move up two places to sixth as the highest-ranked side among the second seeds in next week’s World Cup draw in Moscow.

Poland are seventh, ahead of Switzerland, France and Chile, the only nation in the top 10 not at the World Cup finals.

Outside the top 10, European play-off qualifiers Denmark and Sweden are among the big movers, with Denmark up seven places to 12th and Sweden - who put out Italy - gaining seven places to 18th.

Italy have meanwhile improved a place to 14th while World Cup qualifiers England slip three places to 15th. World Cup hosts Russia remain 65th, the lowest-ranked side of the 32 teams at next year’s tournament.

The Matildas moved up one spot to be rated No.6 in the women’s rankings with the US still leading the way as they’ve done for most of the last decade.