FIFA Rankings?

[FaaipDeOiad]

I've been meaning to ask about this, but why exactly are Mexico and the USA ranked in the top 5 on the FIFA world rankings? Are they really that good, or is it an anomaly caused by the amount of international football played in that region or something?

I haven't seen either team play since the last World Cup, but they certainly weren't top 5 material then, just pretty decent sides.

1 Brazil
2 Czech Republic
3 The Netherlands
4 Mexico
5 USA
5 Spain
7 Portugal
8 France
9 Argentina
10 England

 

[Great Birtannia]

They just play lots and lots of games against average competition in CONCACAF qualifiers and friendlies against middle of the road European sides on non FIFA dates.

Playing the games on non fifa dates means that it is basically just domestic based players eligible, clubs can block players leaving - the situation Australia had in the Asian cup qualifier v. Bahrain, so the US and Mexico who have a large proportion of their squads based domestically make light work of Norway, Poland etc who have players scattered throughout Europe.

When the US came up against Germany recently, who also have a lot of domestic based players in their squad, they got tonked 4-1.

Fair play to them though as they have both had good runs at past WCs but I wouldn't have either in the top 10. Mid teens is where I would rate them objectively.

 

[Craig]

And recently the Czech Republic were number 1!

I mean you have the likes of Veitnam and Jordan ranked way ahead of Northern Ireland, but you would certainly back NI to beat Vietnam and Jordan pretty comfortabtly when you consider they have a fair amount of players playing in the EPL and Football League.

 

[Neil Pickup]

They're a load of rubbish. Matches between crap teams in weak confederations count for almost as much as matches between teams that are actually talented - result is, if you have a team that's slightly less crap than the others, they win, get loads of points, and get ranked high.

 

[Pedro Delgado]

1 Brazil
2 Argentina
3 Portugal
4 England
5 The Netherlands
6 Czech Republic
7 France
8 Spain
9 Sweden
10 Italy

..would be mine. All subjective of course, and probably wrong, but better than the Fifa one which is pretty absurd.

 

[Scaly piscine]

If we're going by raw likelihood of winning a World Cup (ignoring conditions, home crowd etc.)

1 Brazil
2 Argentina
3 Italy
4 Germany
5 England
6 The Netherlands
7 Portugal
8 Spain
9 France
10 Sweden

 

[Pedro Delgado]

I'm using a mixture of current form/recent performances and how I think they'll do come Germany. I think, although currently poor and out of my ten, Germany will do well at home. Still, can't justify them a berth.

 

[BoyBrumby]

It's largely arbitrary (much like FIFA's own), but there is no way on earth yer Erics at home are less likely to win a World Cup than Portugal, The Czech Republic, Spain or Sweden.

Incidentally, is there some in built bias in FIFA's rankings in favour of yer Czechs? IIRC they were ranked 3rd in 2002 despite not even making the finals tournament! & they're now ranked above Holland despite losing twice to them in the qualifiers.

 

[Magrat Garlick]

Incidentally, is there some in built bias in FIFA's rankings in favour of yer Czechs? IIRC they were ranked 3rd in 2002 despite not even making the finals tournament! & they're now ranked above Holland despite losing twice to them in the qualifiers.

They don't play in finals and hence don't lose points there.

Another system I like is the Elo ratings, but that's probably just cos I appreciate the mathematics rather than claiming it's genuinely better. It has:

1 Brazil
2 Nederland
3 England
4 España
5 Cesko
6 France
7 Italia
8 Argentina
9 Portugal
10 Danmark
11 Deutschland
12 Sverige
13 Romania
14 Mexico, USA
16 Hrvatska
17 Eire
18 Jomhuriye Eslamiye Iran
19 Türkce
20 Uruguay
---
22 Ellas
24 Australia
27 Nippon
34 Rossija
37 Norge

Probably think Italy is a bit too low, along with the Asian countries (Iran excepted). Worth noting is they have Togo at 80th - behind Iraq, Zimbabwe and North Korea.

 

[Neil Pickup]

We don't all speak forty-six different languages...

1 Brazil
2 Holland
3 England
4 Spain
5 Czech Republic
6 France
7 Italy
8 Argentina
9 Portugal
10 Denmark
11 Germany
12 Sweden
13 Romania
14 Mexico
14 USA
16 Croatia
17 Ireland
18 Iran
19 Turkey
20 Uruguay
---
22 Greece
24 Australia
27 Japan
34 Russia
37 Norway

Site Link

 

[Neil Pickup]

Having looked at the maths behind the Elo rankings, I quite like them too. I'm intrigued as to what they would look like if someone did them for Test Cricket.

 

[Craig]

Are you planning something?

 

[33/3from3.3]

Craigos closes in on 12000 posts with cheap one liners

 

[Jungle Jumbo]

From above link:

220 Vatican 603 - - +1 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0

One game on neutral territory (I guess that save a drop-in pitch in St Peter's Square they can't be helped), apparently a nil-nil draw.

When? How? Why? Is this an almighty mess-up?

 

[BoyBrumby]

From above link:

220 Vatican 603 - - +1 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0

One game on neutral territory (I guess that save a drop-in pitch in St Peter's Square they can't be helped), apparently a nil-nil draw.

When? How? Why? Is this an almighty mess-up?

If you click on "Vatican" it takes you to their result.

Apparently on 23rd Nov 2002 they drew 0-0 with Monaco in Italy (who I didn't know had a team either).

If little statelets like those have national teams I'm surprised the Channel Islands & Isle of Man don't.

 

[steds]

If little statelets like those have national teams I'm surprised the Channel Islands & Isle of Man don't.

The Isle of Man do. They just don't play internationals and are members of the English FA.

 

[BoyBrumby]

The Isle of Man do. They just don't play internationals.

That's like having eyes & not opening them.

Strange people.

 

[Magrat Garlick]

If you click on "Vatican" it takes you to their result.

Apparently on 23rd Nov 2002 they drew 0-0 with Monaco in Italy (who I didn't know had a team either).

If little statelets like those have national teams I'm surprised the Channel Islands & Isle of Man don't.

From http://www.rsssf.com/intldetails/2002e3.html:

23/11/2002, Roma (Italy), Stadio PIO XII
Friendly International
VATICAN CITY        0
MONACO              0
Vatican City:       Panzini, Ticconi, Durante, Pietropaolo, Iafolla [c], Pacchiano
                    (Perugini 46'), Perinelli (Testa 46'), Troiani (Marcello Rosati 77'),
                    Germani (Bertoldo 46'), De Mattia (Mariotti 39'), Rossi (Badii 29').
Monaco:             Anthony Minioni, Gérald Fighiera, Franck Brasseur, Kevin De Sarzens,
                    Yohan Garino (Olivier El-Missouri 85'), Jean-Paul Pennacino,
                    Antoine Narmino (Fabien Gallis 54'), Benoît Biancheri, Damien Choisit
                    (Eric Fissore 71'), Serge Turuani [c], Olivier Pasquier
                    (Sergio Bonnaventura 83').
Referee:            Filippo Baglivo (Italy).
Coaches:            Vatican City: Gianfranco Guadagnoli (Italy).
                    Monaco: Michel Russail.
Notes:              Not a full FIFA international.
                    It is not clear if all the Vatican players were genuinely of Vatican
                    nationality.

Isle of Man do have a team, though. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isle_of_Man_national_football_team

Edit: Beaten by steds...

 

[Jungle Jumbo]

I was under the impression that while there are teams from the Vatican (most made up of papal guards) that play five-a-side in Rome, that they do not want to play 'proper' football.

Some old FourFourTwo article, I'll try and dig it out.

EDIT: Cheers Hakon. Was that game played in the Pius the Twelth Stadium? Madness.

How that can go on these rankings I don't know.

 

[steds]

Isle of Man do have a team, though. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isle_of_Man_national_football_team

Edit: Beaten by steds...

Incidentally, Laxey FC did the Grand Slam this year (League, Charity Shield, Railway Cup, FA Cup and Hospital Cup) and a relation of mine (second cousin once removed or something stupidly long like that) weighed in with 30 goals in 37 games.