ZURICH (AFP) - Lionel Messi's Argentina on Thursday knocked Germany off top place in the Fifa world rankings, despite having lost to their rivals in the World Cup final last year and to Chile in last weekend's Copa America.

Reaching the Copa final took the Argentinians up two places to claim the No. 1 ranking for the first time in seven years.

New South American champions Chile moved up eight places to 11th.

Romania rose four places to eighth, England six places to ninth and Wales surged 12 positions after their European Championship qualifying win over Belgium to 10th place.

France fell 13 places to No. 22.

Singapore moved up four spots to 150, their highest position in about two years, after thrashing Cambodia 4-0 and a superb 0-0 draw with 50th-ranked Japan (second in Asia behind 38th-placed Iran) in World Cup qualifiers last month, both away.

The Lions are fourth among the 10 Asean sides, behind the Philippines (124), Thailand (140) and Vietnam (143).

Rankings (points, position change): 1 Argentina 1,473 (+2). 2 Germany 1,411 (-1). 3 Belgium 1,244 (-1). 4 Colombia 1,217 (-). 5 Netherlands 1,204 (+1). 6 Brazil 1,186 (-1). 7 Portugal 1,177 (-). 8 Romania 1,166 (+4). 9 England 1,157 (+6). 10 Wales 1,155 (+12).