( CNN ) -- France have slipped to 27th place in the FIFA world rankings , their lowest position since football 's governing body introduced the table in 1993 . The drop reflects a slump in the team 's fortunes on the field , including a disastrous performance at the 2010 World Cup . Les Bleus , world champions in 1998 and finalists in 2006 , were knocked out in the group stage in South Africa without winning a game after a campaign overshadowed by infighting , which led to Nicolas Anelka being sent home following a spat with coach Raymond Domenech . Anelka 's team-mates then went on strike in protest at his expulsion , resulting in bans for the Chelsea striker , captain Patrice Evra , star winger Franck Ribery and midfielder Jeremy Toulalan . Things have n't gone much better under new coach Laurent Blanc , with the French losing their opening 2012 European Championship qualifier to Belarus in Paris before steadying the ship with a 2-0 win over Bosnia Herzegovina . World champions Spain remain top of the FIFA rankings , with beaten finalists the Netherlands in second . Germany are third after moving ahead of five-time World Cup winners Brazil and Argentina are fifth . England have gone up to sixth after impressive wins over Bulgaria and Switzerland in their first two Euro 2012 qualifiers . Elsewhere Montenegro , FIFA 's newest national team , moved into the top 50 for the first time ( 40th ) after winning their first two qualifiers . And Cyprus have surged up 20 places to their highest ranking of 43rd after a shock 4-4 draw with Portugal earlier this month .
Germany slide six place to lowest-ever sixth in latest FIFA world rankings . The French were knocked out of the 2010 in group stage and lost first Euro 2012 qualifier . France have moved up to third and England have moved up to sixth in table .