ARGENTINA were confirmed as the world’s number one team in the Fifa men’s rankings today, as the national government doubled down on defending the players who celebrated winning the Copa America by singing a racist song targeting number two-ranked France.

The fallout of the chant sung late on Sunday in Miami, which mocked the African heritage of some France players, continued four days later, including a rebuke to Argentina’s critics by the vice-president in its far-right government.

Argentina’s government fired on Wednesday one of its leading sports officials, Julio Garro, who urged Lionel Messi and the president of the Argentinian FA to apologise.