S. Korea jumps 15 spots to No. 54 in latest FIFA rankings

Buoyed by its runner-up finish at the AFC Asian Cup in January, South Korea jumped 15 spots to No. 54 in the latest FIFA rankings announced on Thursday.

South Korea soared in the FIFA standings after staying at No. 69 -- its all-time low -- over the past three months.

At the Asian Cup in Australia, South Korea won its first five matches before losing to the host in the final.

There were other changes among AFC member states in the latest rankings. Iran, despite getting eliminated in the quarters at the Asian Cup, rose 10 spots to No. 41, the highest in the AFC. Japan slipped a notch to No. 55 after losing to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in the Asian Cup quarters.

Australia made the biggest jump in the AFC, going from 100th to 63rd thanks to its first-ever Asian Cup title. The UAE went up 14 notches to 66th. (Yonhap)