Korea and Japan, co-hosts of the 2002 FIFA World Cup, were ranked 41st and 40th respectively for January on the monthly standings list announced by FIFA, the world's governing body for soccer.

According to the official FIFA site (www.fifa.com), Korea scored 578 points, the same as Israel, and Japan scored 581 points on the list, which takes various factors into account, including the results of the A-matches between national teams. Saudi Arabia and Iran ranked 36th with 585 points, the highest among Asian nations.

Brazil ranked at the top with 821 points, followed by France and Argentina. The Czech Republic and Italy shared the fourth position with 742 points. The standings of these countries were the same as last December.

Last December, Korea and Japan were ranked 40th and 38th respectively.