[Football] FIFA Rankings

ringmerseagulltoo · Jun 24, 2018

Just heard the commentator on the Poland Colombia match say Poland are ranked 8 on the FIFA table. I have just looked at the table and England are 12. Really?

I assume this a statistical assessment but does anyone know how it is determined? Presumably just on competive games but how is a South American side compared with a European side for instance?

Pantani · Jun 24, 2018

ringmerseagulltoo said:
Just heard the commentator on the Poland Colombia match say Poland are ranked 8 on the FIFA table. I have just looked at the table and England are 12. Really?

I assume this a statistical assessment but does anyone know how it is determined? Presumably just on competive games but how is a South American side compared with a European side for instance?

Basically, Poland and Switzerland have gamed their rankings by barely playing any friendlies.

Weststander · Jun 24, 2018

There'll be some huge adjustments post WC.

No doubt Sweden are high after knocking out awful Dutch and Italian teams, but the 10 men of Germany pulled them apart.

Harry Wilson's tackle · Jun 24, 2018

ringmerseagulltoo said:
Just heard the commentator on the Poland Colombia match say Poland are ranked 8 on the FIFA table. I have just looked at the table and England are 12. Really?

I assume this a statistical assessment but does anyone know how it is determined? Presumably just on competive games but how is a South American side compared with a European side for instance?

Welcome to International Football. What do you think of it so far? :wink:

Deleted member 18477 · Jun 24, 2018

Pantani said:
Basically, Poland and Switzerland have gamed their rankings by barely playing any friendlies.

Poland and Switzerland have been very high for a good 4-8 years. Both seem to sail through qualifying regularly and as a result keep their FIFA rankings spot and earn an easier group the next time qualifying comes around... Although Switzerland are in the top 20 teams I reckon... Poland... Not anymore. Some of the teams below in bold will drop unless say Argentina produce a miracle. You get a lot more points for doing well in world cups hence why Argentina are still in top 5 having gotten to the final 4 years ago.

FIFA World Rankings
Top 20 rankings as of 7 June 2018

Rank Change Team Points
1 Steady Germany 1558
2 Steady Brazil 1431
3 Steady Belgium 1298
4 Steady Portugal 1274
5 Steady Argentina 1241
6 Steady Switzerland 1199
7 Steady France 1198
8 Increase 2 Poland 1183
9 Steady Chile 1135
10 Decrease 2 Spain 1126
11 Steady Peru 1125
12 Steady Denmark 1051
12 Increase 1 England 1051
14 Increase 3 Uruguay 1018
15 Steady Mexico 989
16 Steady Colombia 986
17 Increase 2 Netherlands 981
18 Increase 3 Wales 953
19 Increase 1 Italy 951
20 Decrease 2 Croatia 945

*Change from 17 May 2018
Complete rankings at FIFA.com

Djmiles · Jun 24, 2018

Wales above Italy. Would have thought that would be near impossible 4 years ago.

Razzoo · Jun 24, 2018

Djmiles said:
Wales above Italy. Would have thought that would be near impossible 4 years ago.

You may as well have written that Gareth Bale has moved above Italy, and I am only half joking.

Gritt23 · Jun 25, 2018

It's largely about how you approach International Friendlies. So many nations breeze through qualifying that there is not a lot to separate them, so it comes down to the Friendly games in between. While some nations play very few, others only play teams that they will beat, while England challenge themselves with friendlies against BIG name nations because we want to try and fill Wembley and pay for the thing.

Choice is, that England either thrash nations like Saudi Arabia or New Zealand in front of 3 men and a dog at Wembley, but get a really high FIFA ranking, or we say "s0d that" and play against Brazil, Argentina, Italy, France, Holland etc in front of big crowds, but don't get to win all of our Friendlies.

Maybe the happy medium would be the return of the Home Internationals, as our Friendly games each year. Full houses, and gubbins opposition who we thrash, thereby shooting up the rankings.

Simster · Jun 25, 2018

Weststander said:
There'll be some huge adjustments post WC.

No doubt Sweden are high after knocking out awful Dutch and Italian teams, but the 10 men of Germany pulled them apart.

I think that's a little harsh on Sweden, who were excellent in that first half. Sure they faced a barrage in the second half but I've seen a lot worse than them. In fact, I reckon they'll beat Mexico and qualify - the gushing over Mexico has started to annoy me, so I really hope this happens.

jackalbion · Jun 25, 2018

Gritt23 said:
It's largely about how you approach International Friendlies. So many nations breeze through qualifying that there is not a lot to separate them, so it comes down to the Friendly games in between. While some nations play very few, others only play teams that they will beat, while England challenge themselves with friendlies against BIG name nations because we want to try and fill Wembley and pay for the thing.

Choice is, that England either thrash nations like Saudi Arabia or New Zealand in front of 3 men and a dog at Wembley, but get a really high FIFA ranking, or we say "s0d that" and play against Brazil, Argentina, Italy, France, Holland etc in front of big crowds, but don't get to win all of our Friendlies.

Maybe the happy medium would be the return of the Home Internationals, as our Friendly games each year. Full houses, and gubbins opposition who we thrash, thereby shooting up the rankings.

I would say our approach is better, playing against the big teams, better preparation. Poland smashing Luxembourg 4-0 has prepared them for nothing and they’ve been crap.

Triggaaar · Jun 25, 2018

Pantani said:
Basically, Poland and Switzerland have gamed their rankings by barely playing any friendlies.

I thought (presumably incorrectly) that when you made over 3 subs in a friendly, that game then didn't count towards the rankings anyway?

Triggaaar · Jun 25, 2018

jackalbion said:
I would say our approach is better, playing against the big teams, better preparation. Poland smashing Luxembourg 4-0 has prepared them for nothing and they’ve been crap.

Are Poland's performances have been down to their choice of friendlies, or is their squad ageing or something else? Their qualifying games weren't meaningless, and they did well their.

seagulls4ever · Jun 25, 2018

Triggaaar said:
I thought (presumably incorrectly) that when you made over 3 subs in a friendly, that game then didn't count towards the rankings anyway?

Never heard of that before.

The system's changing next month anyway: http://www.espn.co.uk/football/fifa...erhaul-to-stop-manipulation-for-draw-seedings

Weststander · Jun 25, 2018

Simster said:
I think that's a little harsh on Sweden, who were excellent in that first half. Sure they faced a barrage in the second half but I've seen a lot worse than them. In fact, I reckon they'll beat Mexico and qualify - the gushing over Mexico has started to annoy me, so I really hope this happens.

Ten men Germany bossed Sweden, even in second half possession. Bizarre second half.

Perhaps one dimensional Sweden couldn't cope with a far superior football team?

vegster · Jun 25, 2018

I think the USA managed to get to top 4 in the rankings for a while....crazy.

Saunders · Jun 25, 2018

seagulls4ever said:
Never heard of that before.

The system's changing next month anyway: http://www.espn.co.uk/football/fifa...erhaul-to-stop-manipulation-for-draw-seedings

There is also the UEFA nations league starting which will make it a lot harder to manipulate.

jackalbion · Jun 26, 2018

Triggaaar said:
Are Poland's performances have been down to their choice of friendlies, or is their squad ageing or something else? Their qualifying games weren't meaningless, and they did well their.

Well you can’t 100% put it down to their friendlies, but they’re seeding does mean they get put in groups as the top seed in qualification, I’d say it probably has an effect. They finished top of a group of Denmark, Montenegro, Romania, Armenia and Kazakhstan, it’s hardly giving them good preparation for teams like Colombia and Senegal. Lots of talk about Lewandowski being the countries all time leading scorer but he has scored 5 of those against Armenia and 6 against Gibraltar.

Gwylan · Jun 26, 2018

Weststander said:
Ten men Germany bossed Sweden, even in second half possession. Bizarre second half.

Perhaps one dimensional Sweden couldn't cope with a far superior football team?

Germany had 10 men for about 10 minutes, and by that time Sweden had concentrated on getting the draw. I'd scarcely say that Germany bossed them - Sweden nearly had a winner just seconds before that German free kick.

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