FIFA's Executive Committee will decide how many places each confederation will be allocated for the 2014 FIFA World Cup at its meeting to be held in Zurich on 2 and 3 March.
CONCACAF are already pushing for an increase in their quota - from 3.5 to 4.
I already wrote about allocating slots right in July 2010.
Allocating World Cup slots: Is there a better way?
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Friday, February 25, 2011
FIFA Ranking: CHAN matches to be included?
CAF president Issa Hayatou announced in his speech in Khartoum:
"On February 12, a proposal was forwarded to the FIFA Executive Committee to include results of CHAN matches in the FIFA rankings."
I doubt FIFA will agree since they don't include CHAN matches in the rankings because CHAN rules restrict the eligibility of players.
However, politics are usually more important than football.
Maybe AFC should take note and ask FIFA to "upgrade" AFC Challenge Cup matches from friendlies to continental qualifiers since the winners advance to the Asian Cup final tournament and most of the teams involved in the Challenge Cup don't participate in the main qualifiers.
"On February 12, a proposal was forwarded to the FIFA Executive Committee to include results of CHAN matches in the FIFA rankings."
I doubt FIFA will agree since they don't include CHAN matches in the rankings because CHAN rules restrict the eligibility of players.
However, politics are usually more important than football.
Maybe AFC should take note and ask FIFA to "upgrade" AFC Challenge Cup matches from friendlies to continental qualifiers since the winners advance to the Asian Cup final tournament and most of the teams involved in the Challenge Cup don't participate in the main qualifiers.
Friday, February 18, 2011
2014 FIFA World Cup probable seeding info
A couple of weeks ago, I sort of promised to post seeding tables computed using probable results.
2014 FIFA World Cup probable seeding for CAF teams (18 February 2010)
2014 FIFA World Cup probable seeding for UEFA teams (18 February 2010)
I only did it for CAF and UEFA, because CONCACAF have postponed the Gold Cup groups announcement to March.
I also tweaked a bit the generation of probable results - to generate less draws (23.66% instead of 33% if anyone cares). Thanks Russian Lurkmore for the suggestion! He suggested using 10%, but in the last 8 years 23.66% of international matches were draws.
Hopefully I'll post updates every month.
Enjoy!
2014 FIFA World Cup probable seeding for CAF teams (18 February 2010)
2014 FIFA World Cup probable seeding for UEFA teams (18 February 2010)
I only did it for CAF and UEFA, because CONCACAF have postponed the Gold Cup groups announcement to March.
I also tweaked a bit the generation of probable results - to generate less draws (23.66% instead of 33% if anyone cares). Thanks Russian Lurkmore for the suggestion! He suggested using 10%, but in the last 8 years 23.66% of international matches were draws.
Hopefully I'll post updates every month.
Enjoy!
2014 FIFA World Cup probable seeding for UEFA teams (18 February 2010)
See the list of probable results.
FIFA Ranking vs. Elo Ratings
Underachievers
France in the second pot based on their pedigree would be a suprise, but based on the probable results (especially the defeat against Ukraine in June) they would be 11th in Europe in the Elo Ratings.
Italy (7th in Europe in the Elo Ratings) and Sweden (8) fail to reach the first pot.
Ukraine (10), Republic of Ireland (15), Switzerland (17) and Czech Republic (18) fail to reach the second pot.
Poland (23), Bulgaria (25) and Scotland (26) fail to reach the third pot.
Finland (34) fail to reach the fourth pot.
Overachievers
Norway (12) and Greece (16) in the first pot.
Denmark (20), Slovenia (12) and Montenegro (22) in the second pot.
Hungary (29) and Belgium (31) in the third pot.
Albania (40) in the fourth pot.
Slovakia (28) are a special case. Based on the Elo Ratings they would be in the fourth pot, but using the probable July 2011 FIFA ranking they are in the second pot.
FIFA Ranking vs. Elo Ratings
Underachievers
France in the second pot based on their pedigree would be a suprise, but based on the probable results (especially the defeat against Ukraine in June) they would be 11th in Europe in the Elo Ratings.
Italy (7th in Europe in the Elo Ratings) and Sweden (8) fail to reach the first pot.
Ukraine (10), Republic of Ireland (15), Switzerland (17) and Czech Republic (18) fail to reach the second pot.
Poland (23), Bulgaria (25) and Scotland (26) fail to reach the third pot.
Finland (34) fail to reach the fourth pot.
Overachievers
Norway (12) and Greece (16) in the first pot.
Denmark (20), Slovenia (12) and Montenegro (22) in the second pot.
Hungary (29) and Belgium (31) in the third pot.
Albania (40) in the fourth pot.
Slovakia (28) are a special case. Based on the Elo Ratings they would be in the fourth pot, but using the probable July 2011 FIFA ranking they are in the second pot.
1 Spain 1622
2 Netherlands 1592
3 Germany 1361
4 England 1281
5 Portugal 1119
6 Croatia 1107
7 Norway 1077
8 Russia 1050
9 Greece 1020
--------------------------------
10 Italy 977
11 Serbia 917
12 Montenegro 888
13 Sweden 884
14 Slovenia 877
15 France 859
16 Slovakia 821
17 Turkey 815
18 Denmark 778
--------------------------------
19 Republic of Ireland 756
20 Switzerland 724
21 Israel 706
22 Czech Republic 703
23 Ukraine 680
24 Belarus 676
25 Romania 646
26 Hungary 603
27 Belgium 587
--------------------------------
28 Austria 584
29 Lithuania 573
30 Bosnia-Herzegovina 555
31 Bulgaria 526
32 Scotland 513
33 Northern Ireland 506
34 Cyprus 478
35 Albania 467
36 Poland 455
--------------------------------
37 Latvia 448
38 Finland 419
39 Armenia 404
40 Georgia 386
41 Moldova 383
42 Estonia 371
43 FYR Macedonia 331
44 Azerbaijan 300
45 Wales 240
--------------------------------
46 Luxembourg 213
47 Iceland 205
48 Kazakhstan 174
49 Faroe Islands 156
50 Liechtenstein 109
51 Malta 83
52 Andorra 0
52 San Marino 0
2014 FIFA World Cup probable seeding for CAF teams (18 February 2010)
See the list of probable results.
Algeria and Malawi tied for 12th. Algeria in the first pot because their unrounded total points are higher than Malawi's.
FIFA Ranking vs. Elo Ratings
Underachievers
South Africa (7th in Africa in the Elo Ratings), Senegal (8), Uganda (10) and Mali (12) fail to reach the first pot.
Congo DR (23) and Gambia (24) fail to reach the second pot.
Ethiopia (33) and Namibia (36) fail to reach the third pot.
Seychelles (48) fail to reach the fourth pot.
Overachievers
Guinea (13), Gabon (14), Libya (15) and Algeria (18) in the first pot.
Mozambique (26) and Niger (28) in the second pot.
Chad (38) and Kenya (39) in the third pot.
Somalia (51) in the fourth pot.
Algeria and Malawi tied for 12th. Algeria in the first pot because their unrounded total points are higher than Malawi's.
FIFA Ranking vs. Elo Ratings
Underachievers
South Africa (7th in Africa in the Elo Ratings), Senegal (8), Uganda (10) and Mali (12) fail to reach the first pot.
Congo DR (23) and Gambia (24) fail to reach the second pot.
Ethiopia (33) and Namibia (36) fail to reach the third pot.
Seychelles (48) fail to reach the fourth pot.
Overachievers
Guinea (13), Gabon (14), Libya (15) and Algeria (18) in the first pot.
Mozambique (26) and Niger (28) in the second pot.
Chad (38) and Kenya (39) in the third pot.
Somalia (51) in the fourth pot.
1 Côte d'Ivoire 922
2 Egypt 875
3 Cameroon 744
4 Ghana 705
5 Burkina Faso 659
6 Nigeria 646
7 Tunisia 556
8 Gabon 551
9 Libya 530
10 Morocco 514
11 Guinea 494
12 Algeria 479
-------------------------------
12 Malawi 479
14 Senegal 475
15 Botswana 462
16 Cape Verde Islands 443
17 Mali 439
18 Uganda 417
19 South Africa 412
20 Zambia 399
21 Benin 380
22 Angola 357
23 Niger 356
24 Mozambique 351
-------------------------------
25 Sudan 343
26 Central African Republic 301
27 Zimbabwe 267
28 Sierra Leone 260
29 Tanzania 258
30 Gambia 257
31 Congo DR 240
32 Togo 238
33 Rwanda 208
34 Congo 206
35 Kenya 173
36 Chad 167
-------------------------------
37 Ethiopia 149
38 Guinea-Bissau 142
39 Burundi 130
40 Namibia 104
41 Madagascar 92
42 Equatorial Guinea 83
43 Liberia 77
44 Swaziland 68
45 Lesotho 44
46 Mauritania 32
47 Eritrea 29
48 Somalia 23
-------------------------------
49 Comoros 19
50 Djibouti 12
51 Mauritius 10
52 Seychelles 7
53 Sao Tome e Principe 0
2014 FIFA World Cup seeding: Probable results (18 February 2011)
Only matches involving CAF or UEFA teams.
Results are generated using the Elo Ratings.
1 - First team wins
X - Draw
2 - Second team wins
25/Mar Mali - Zimbabwe 1 (Continental Qualifier)
25/Mar Cape Verde Islands - Liberia 1 (Continental Qualifier)
25/Mar Madagascar - Guinea 2 (Continental Qualifier)
25/Mar Libya - Comoros 1 (Continental Qualifier)
25/Mar Mozambique - Zambia X (Continental Qualifier)
25/Mar Tanzania - Central African Republic 1 (Continental Qualifier)
25/Mar Senegal - Cameroon X (Continental Qualifier)
25/Mar Congo DR - Mauritius 1 (Continental Qualifier)
25/Mar Burkina Faso - Namibia 1 (Continental Qualifier)
25/Mar Niger - Sierra Leone 1 (Continental Qualifier)
25/Mar South Africa - Egypt 2 (Continental Qualifier)
25/Mar Rwanda - Burundi 1 (Continental Qualifier)
25/Mar Côte d'Ivoire - Benin 1 (Continental Qualifier)
25/Mar Congo - Ghana 2 (Continental Qualifier)
25/Mar Sudan - Swaziland 1 (Continental Qualifier)
25/Mar Kenya - Angola 2 (Continental Qualifier)
25/Mar Guinea-Bissau - Uganda 2 (Continental Qualifier)
25/Mar Spain - Czech Republic 1 (Continental Qualifier)
25/Mar Chad - Botswana X (Continental Qualifier)
25/Mar Malawi - Togo 1 (Continental Qualifier)
25/Mar Lithuania - Poland X (Friendly)
25/Mar Qatar - Tunisia X (Friendly)
25/Mar Gabon - Gambia 1 (Friendly)
25/Mar Japan - Montenegro 1 (Friendly)
25/Mar Austria - Belgium 1 (Continental Qualifier)
25/Mar Serbia - Northern Ireland 1 (Continental Qualifier)
25/Mar Hungary - Netherlands 2 (Continental Qualifier)
25/Mar Slovenia - Italy X (Continental Qualifier)
25/Mar Luxembourg - France 2 (Continental Qualifier)
26/Mar Wales - England 2 (Continental Qualifier)
26/Mar Bulgaria - Switzerland X (Continental Qualifier)
26/Mar Armenia - Russia 2 (Continental Qualifier)
26/Mar Bosnia-Herzegovina - Romania X (Continental Qualifier)
26/Mar Republic of Ireland - FYR Macedonia 1 (Continental Qualifier)
26/Mar Germany - Kazakhstan 1 (Continental Qualifier)
26/Mar Albania - Belarus X (Continental Qualifier)
26/Mar Andorra - Slovakia 2 (Continental Qualifier)
26/Mar Cyprus - Iceland 1 (Continental Qualifier)
26/Mar Norway - Denmark 1 (Continental Qualifier)
26/Mar Malta - Greece 2 (Continental Qualifier)
26/Mar Georgia - Croatia 2 (Continental Qualifier)
26/Mar Israel - Latvia 1 (Continental Qualifier)
27/Mar Nigeria - Ethiopia 1 (Continental Qualifier)
27/Mar Algeria - Morocco X (Continental Qualifier)
27/Mar Brazil - Scotland 1 (Friendly)
29/Mar Lithuania - Spain 2 (Continental Qualifier)
29/Mar Greece - Poland 1 (Friendly)
29/Mar Oman - Tunisia X (Friendly)
29/Mar Korea Republic - Montenegro 1 (Friendly)
29/Mar France - Croatia X (Friendly)
29/Mar Ukraine - Italy X (Friendly)
29/Mar Czech Republic - Liechtenstein 1 (Continental Qualifier)
29/Mar Sweden - Moldova 1 (Continental Qualifier)
29/Mar Northern Ireland - Slovenia X (Continental Qualifier)
29/Mar England - Ghana 1 (Friendly)
29/Mar Turkey - Austria 1 (Continental Qualifier)
29/Mar Netherlands - Hungary 1 (Continental Qualifier)
29/Mar Belgium - Azerbaijan 1 (Continental Qualifier)
29/Mar Romania - Luxembourg 1 (Continental Qualifier)
29/Mar Portugal - Finland 1 (Friendly)
29/Mar Israel - Georgia 1 (Continental Qualifier)
29/Mar Estonia - Serbia 2 (Continental Qualifier)
30/Mar Morocco - Angola 1 (Friendly)
24/May Republic of Ireland - Northern Ireland 1 (Friendly)
25/May Scotland - Wales 1 (Friendly)
27/May Wales - Northern Ireland X (Friendly)
29/May Republic of Ireland - Scotland 1 (Friendly)
03/Jun Zimbabwe - Mali X (Continental Qualifier)
03/Jun Liberia - Cape Verde Islands 2 (Continental Qualifier)
03/Jun Guinea - Madagascar 1 (Continental Qualifier)
03/Jun Ethiopia - Nigeria 2 (Continental Qualifier)
03/Jun Comoros - Libya 2 (Continental Qualifier)
03/Jun Zambia - Mozambique 1 (Continental Qualifier)
03/Jun Central African Republic - Tanzania X (Continental Qualifier)
03/Jun Morocco - Algeria 1 (Continental Qualifier)
03/Jun Cameroon - Senegal 1 (Continental Qualifier)
03/Jun Mauritius - Congo DR 2 (Continental Qualifier)
03/Jun Namibia - Burkina Faso 2 (Continental Qualifier)
03/Jun Sierra Leone - Niger X (Continental Qualifier)
03/Jun Egypt - South Africa 1 (Continental Qualifier)
03/Jun Burundi - Rwanda X (Continental Qualifier)
03/Jun Benin - Côte d'Ivoire 2 (Continental Qualifier)
03/Jun Ghana - Congo 1 (Continental Qualifier)
03/Jun Swaziland - Sudan 2 (Continental Qualifier)
03/Jun Angola - Kenya 1 (Continental Qualifier)
03/Jun Uganda - Guinea-Bissau 1 (Continental Qualifier)
03/Jun Kazakhstan - Azerbaijan X (Continental Qualifier)
03/Jun Belgium - Turkey X (Continental Qualifier)
03/Jun Italy - Estonia 1 (Continental Qualifier)
03/Jun Faroe Islands - Slovenia 2 (Continental Qualifier)
03/Jun Romania - Bosnia-Herzegovina 1 (Continental Qualifier)
03/Jun Belarus - France X (Continental Qualifier)
03/Jun San Marino - Finland 2 (Continental Qualifier)
03/Jun Moldova - Sweden 2 (Continental Qualifier)
03/Jun Liechtenstein - Lithuania 2 (Continental Qualifier)
03/Jun Botswana - Malawi X (Continental Qualifier)
03/Jun Tunisia - Chad 1 (Continental Qualifier)
03/Jun Hungary - Luxembourg 1 (Friendly)
03/Jun Austria - Germany 2 (Continental Qualifier)
04/Jun Russia - Armenia 1 (Continental Qualifier)
04/Jun FYR Macedonia - Republic of Ireland 2 (Continental Qualifier)
04/Jun Slovakia - Andorra 1 (Continental Qualifier)
04/Jun Latvia - Israel X (Continental Qualifier)
04/Jun Greece - Malta 1 (Continental Qualifier)
04/Jun Croatia - Georgia 1 (Continental Qualifier)
04/Jun Montenegro - Bulgaria 1 (Continental Qualifier)
04/Jun England - Switzerland 1 (Continental Qualifier)
04/Jun Iceland - Denmark 2 (Continental Qualifier)
04/Jun Portugal - Norway 1 (Continental Qualifier)
04/Jun Brazil - Netherlands X (Friendly)
06/Jun Ukraine - France 1 (Friendly)
07/Jun Azerbaijan - Germany 2 (Continental Qualifier)
07/Jun Faroe Islands - Estonia 2 (Continental Qualifier)
07/Jun Bosnia-Herzegovina - Albania 1 (Continental Qualifier)
07/Jun Belarus - Luxembourg 1 (Continental Qualifier)
07/Jun San Marino - Hungary 2 (Continental Qualifier)
07/Jun Sweden - Finland 1 (Continental Qualifier)
07/Jun Slovenia - FYR Macedonia 1 (Friendly)
07/Jun Austria - Latvia 1 (Friendly)
09/Jun Poland - France X (Friendly)
22/Jun Uruguay - Estonia 1 (Friendly)
26/Jun Bolivia - Latvia X (Friendly)
Results are generated using the Elo Ratings.
1 - First team wins
X - Draw
2 - Second team wins
25/Mar Mali - Zimbabwe 1 (Continental Qualifier)
25/Mar Cape Verde Islands - Liberia 1 (Continental Qualifier)
25/Mar Madagascar - Guinea 2 (Continental Qualifier)
25/Mar Libya - Comoros 1 (Continental Qualifier)
25/Mar Mozambique - Zambia X (Continental Qualifier)
25/Mar Tanzania - Central African Republic 1 (Continental Qualifier)
25/Mar Senegal - Cameroon X (Continental Qualifier)
25/Mar Congo DR - Mauritius 1 (Continental Qualifier)
25/Mar Burkina Faso - Namibia 1 (Continental Qualifier)
25/Mar Niger - Sierra Leone 1 (Continental Qualifier)
25/Mar South Africa - Egypt 2 (Continental Qualifier)
25/Mar Rwanda - Burundi 1 (Continental Qualifier)
25/Mar Côte d'Ivoire - Benin 1 (Continental Qualifier)
25/Mar Congo - Ghana 2 (Continental Qualifier)
25/Mar Sudan - Swaziland 1 (Continental Qualifier)
25/Mar Kenya - Angola 2 (Continental Qualifier)
25/Mar Guinea-Bissau - Uganda 2 (Continental Qualifier)
25/Mar Spain - Czech Republic 1 (Continental Qualifier)
25/Mar Chad - Botswana X (Continental Qualifier)
25/Mar Malawi - Togo 1 (Continental Qualifier)
25/Mar Lithuania - Poland X (Friendly)
25/Mar Qatar - Tunisia X (Friendly)
25/Mar Gabon - Gambia 1 (Friendly)
25/Mar Japan - Montenegro 1 (Friendly)
25/Mar Austria - Belgium 1 (Continental Qualifier)
25/Mar Serbia - Northern Ireland 1 (Continental Qualifier)
25/Mar Hungary - Netherlands 2 (Continental Qualifier)
25/Mar Slovenia - Italy X (Continental Qualifier)
25/Mar Luxembourg - France 2 (Continental Qualifier)
26/Mar Wales - England 2 (Continental Qualifier)
26/Mar Bulgaria - Switzerland X (Continental Qualifier)
26/Mar Armenia - Russia 2 (Continental Qualifier)
26/Mar Bosnia-Herzegovina - Romania X (Continental Qualifier)
26/Mar Republic of Ireland - FYR Macedonia 1 (Continental Qualifier)
26/Mar Germany - Kazakhstan 1 (Continental Qualifier)
26/Mar Albania - Belarus X (Continental Qualifier)
26/Mar Andorra - Slovakia 2 (Continental Qualifier)
26/Mar Cyprus - Iceland 1 (Continental Qualifier)
26/Mar Norway - Denmark 1 (Continental Qualifier)
26/Mar Malta - Greece 2 (Continental Qualifier)
26/Mar Georgia - Croatia 2 (Continental Qualifier)
26/Mar Israel - Latvia 1 (Continental Qualifier)
27/Mar Nigeria - Ethiopia 1 (Continental Qualifier)
27/Mar Algeria - Morocco X (Continental Qualifier)
27/Mar Brazil - Scotland 1 (Friendly)
29/Mar Lithuania - Spain 2 (Continental Qualifier)
29/Mar Greece - Poland 1 (Friendly)
29/Mar Oman - Tunisia X (Friendly)
29/Mar Korea Republic - Montenegro 1 (Friendly)
29/Mar France - Croatia X (Friendly)
29/Mar Ukraine - Italy X (Friendly)
29/Mar Czech Republic - Liechtenstein 1 (Continental Qualifier)
29/Mar Sweden - Moldova 1 (Continental Qualifier)
29/Mar Northern Ireland - Slovenia X (Continental Qualifier)
29/Mar England - Ghana 1 (Friendly)
29/Mar Turkey - Austria 1 (Continental Qualifier)
29/Mar Netherlands - Hungary 1 (Continental Qualifier)
29/Mar Belgium - Azerbaijan 1 (Continental Qualifier)
29/Mar Romania - Luxembourg 1 (Continental Qualifier)
29/Mar Portugal - Finland 1 (Friendly)
29/Mar Israel - Georgia 1 (Continental Qualifier)
29/Mar Estonia - Serbia 2 (Continental Qualifier)
30/Mar Morocco - Angola 1 (Friendly)
24/May Republic of Ireland - Northern Ireland 1 (Friendly)
25/May Scotland - Wales 1 (Friendly)
27/May Wales - Northern Ireland X (Friendly)
29/May Republic of Ireland - Scotland 1 (Friendly)
03/Jun Zimbabwe - Mali X (Continental Qualifier)
03/Jun Liberia - Cape Verde Islands 2 (Continental Qualifier)
03/Jun Guinea - Madagascar 1 (Continental Qualifier)
03/Jun Ethiopia - Nigeria 2 (Continental Qualifier)
03/Jun Comoros - Libya 2 (Continental Qualifier)
03/Jun Zambia - Mozambique 1 (Continental Qualifier)
03/Jun Central African Republic - Tanzania X (Continental Qualifier)
03/Jun Morocco - Algeria 1 (Continental Qualifier)
03/Jun Cameroon - Senegal 1 (Continental Qualifier)
03/Jun Mauritius - Congo DR 2 (Continental Qualifier)
03/Jun Namibia - Burkina Faso 2 (Continental Qualifier)
03/Jun Sierra Leone - Niger X (Continental Qualifier)
03/Jun Egypt - South Africa 1 (Continental Qualifier)
03/Jun Burundi - Rwanda X (Continental Qualifier)
03/Jun Benin - Côte d'Ivoire 2 (Continental Qualifier)
03/Jun Ghana - Congo 1 (Continental Qualifier)
03/Jun Swaziland - Sudan 2 (Continental Qualifier)
03/Jun Angola - Kenya 1 (Continental Qualifier)
03/Jun Uganda - Guinea-Bissau 1 (Continental Qualifier)
03/Jun Kazakhstan - Azerbaijan X (Continental Qualifier)
03/Jun Belgium - Turkey X (Continental Qualifier)
03/Jun Italy - Estonia 1 (Continental Qualifier)
03/Jun Faroe Islands - Slovenia 2 (Continental Qualifier)
03/Jun Romania - Bosnia-Herzegovina 1 (Continental Qualifier)
03/Jun Belarus - France X (Continental Qualifier)
03/Jun San Marino - Finland 2 (Continental Qualifier)
03/Jun Moldova - Sweden 2 (Continental Qualifier)
03/Jun Liechtenstein - Lithuania 2 (Continental Qualifier)
03/Jun Botswana - Malawi X (Continental Qualifier)
03/Jun Tunisia - Chad 1 (Continental Qualifier)
03/Jun Hungary - Luxembourg 1 (Friendly)
03/Jun Austria - Germany 2 (Continental Qualifier)
04/Jun Russia - Armenia 1 (Continental Qualifier)
04/Jun FYR Macedonia - Republic of Ireland 2 (Continental Qualifier)
04/Jun Slovakia - Andorra 1 (Continental Qualifier)
04/Jun Latvia - Israel X (Continental Qualifier)
04/Jun Greece - Malta 1 (Continental Qualifier)
04/Jun Croatia - Georgia 1 (Continental Qualifier)
04/Jun Montenegro - Bulgaria 1 (Continental Qualifier)
04/Jun England - Switzerland 1 (Continental Qualifier)
04/Jun Iceland - Denmark 2 (Continental Qualifier)
04/Jun Portugal - Norway 1 (Continental Qualifier)
04/Jun Brazil - Netherlands X (Friendly)
06/Jun Ukraine - France 1 (Friendly)
07/Jun Azerbaijan - Germany 2 (Continental Qualifier)
07/Jun Faroe Islands - Estonia 2 (Continental Qualifier)
07/Jun Bosnia-Herzegovina - Albania 1 (Continental Qualifier)
07/Jun Belarus - Luxembourg 1 (Continental Qualifier)
07/Jun San Marino - Hungary 2 (Continental Qualifier)
07/Jun Sweden - Finland 1 (Continental Qualifier)
07/Jun Slovenia - FYR Macedonia 1 (Friendly)
07/Jun Austria - Latvia 1 (Friendly)
09/Jun Poland - France X (Friendly)
22/Jun Uruguay - Estonia 1 (Friendly)
26/Jun Bolivia - Latvia X (Friendly)
2014 FIFA World Cup: Asian draw in April?
According to an article on Chinese portal Sina.com.cn, the preliminary draw for the 2014 FIFA World Cup (AFC confederation) will take place in April. Thanks Filipino Football for the info!
As usual, there's no confirmation on AFC's website, but that's the norm :)
It seems Brunei Darussalam (suspended) and Laos won't participate.
There's also a slight change in the format. In the 2010 FIFA World Cup preliminaries, the 8 lowest seeds advancing from the first round were required to play in the second round, while the other seeds involved in the first round were given a bye to the third round (the groups stage). Now, there will be a regular format - with less teams in the first round and more in the second round.
Again, AFC won't be using the FIFA ranking. The Sina.com.cn article confirms the performance base seeding.
First round
First leg: 29 June, 2011
Second leg: 3 July, 2011
Pot A: India, Malaysia, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Cambodia, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Vietnam
Pot B: Mongolia, Palestine, Timor-Leste, Macau, Chinese Taipei, Myanmar, Bhutan, Guam, Philippines
Second round
First leg: 23 July, 2011
Second leg: 28 July, 2011
Pot A: Saudi Arabia, Iran, Qatar, Uzbekistan, United Arab Emirates, Syria, Oman, Jordan, Iraq, China PR, Singapore, Kuwait, Thailand, Turkmenistan, Lebanon
Pot B: Yemen, Tajikistan, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Kyrgyzstan, Maldives + 9 winners from the first round.
Third round
Five groups of four teams.
The draw will take place on 31 July 2011, with Japan, Korea Republic, Australia, Korea DPR and Bahrain entering the competition at this stage.
As usual, there's no confirmation on AFC's website, but that's the norm :)
It seems Brunei Darussalam (suspended) and Laos won't participate.
There's also a slight change in the format. In the 2010 FIFA World Cup preliminaries, the 8 lowest seeds advancing from the first round were required to play in the second round, while the other seeds involved in the first round were given a bye to the third round (the groups stage). Now, there will be a regular format - with less teams in the first round and more in the second round.
Again, AFC won't be using the FIFA ranking. The Sina.com.cn article confirms the performance base seeding.
First round
First leg: 29 June, 2011
Second leg: 3 July, 2011
Pot A: India, Malaysia, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Cambodia, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Vietnam
Pot B: Mongolia, Palestine, Timor-Leste, Macau, Chinese Taipei, Myanmar, Bhutan, Guam, Philippines
Second round
First leg: 23 July, 2011
Second leg: 28 July, 2011
Pot A: Saudi Arabia, Iran, Qatar, Uzbekistan, United Arab Emirates, Syria, Oman, Jordan, Iraq, China PR, Singapore, Kuwait, Thailand, Turkmenistan, Lebanon
Pot B: Yemen, Tajikistan, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Kyrgyzstan, Maldives + 9 winners from the first round.
Third round
Five groups of four teams.
The draw will take place on 31 July 2011, with Japan, Korea Republic, Australia, Korea DPR and Bahrain entering the competition at this stage.
Friday, February 11, 2011
2014 FIFA World Cup seeding for UEFA teams (11 February 2010)
Next update: 1 April 2011
The preliminary draw will take place on July 31st, 2011.
Assumptions:
- UEFA will again have 13 spots
- UEFA will again use the system with 9 groups
- FIFA will use the July 2011 FIFA ranking to seed the teams
The July 2011 FIFA ranking will include matches played between July 2007 and July 2011. We already 50% of the final ranking. Things can and will change before July 2011 as there are many matches to be played involving European teams: EURO 2012 qualifiers and plenty of friendlies.
UEFA will only use the national team coefficient for the European Championships draws (qualifying and final tournament).
This is the July 2011 ranking (for UEFA only) using matches played up to and including February 10th, 2011 and matches scheduled up to July 2011 (only those on fifa.com).
The "1.0" part is computed this way: points gained / (number of matches played + scheduled).
Greece and Italy replace Russia and Montenegro in the first pot.
Turkey replace Czech Republic in the second pot.
Scotland replace Israel in the third pot.
Poland replace Moldova in the fourth pot.
Best movers:
9 - Poland
4 - Scotland
3 - Italy and Romania
Worst movers:
-4 - Montenegro and Moldova
-3 - Portugal, Albania and Armenia
-2 - Denmark, Czech Republic, Sweden, Belarus, Israel and Finland
Most points gained:
62 - Poland
59 - Italy
54 - Scotland
Most points lost:
-147 - Montenegro
-95 - Portugal
-68 - Belarus
Rank - Previous rank - Team - Total points
The preliminary draw will take place on July 31st, 2011.
Assumptions:
- UEFA will again have 13 spots
- UEFA will again use the system with 9 groups
- FIFA will use the July 2011 FIFA ranking to seed the teams
The July 2011 FIFA ranking will include matches played between July 2007 and July 2011. We already 50% of the final ranking. Things can and will change before July 2011 as there are many matches to be played involving European teams: EURO 2012 qualifiers and plenty of friendlies.
UEFA will only use the national team coefficient for the European Championships draws (qualifying and final tournament).
This is the July 2011 ranking (for UEFA only) using matches played up to and including February 10th, 2011 and matches scheduled up to July 2011 (only those on fifa.com).
The "1.0" part is computed this way: points gained / (number of matches played + scheduled).
Greece and Italy replace Russia and Montenegro in the first pot.
Turkey replace Czech Republic in the second pot.
Scotland replace Israel in the third pot.
Poland replace Moldova in the fourth pot.
Best movers:
9 - Poland
4 - Scotland
3 - Italy and Romania
Worst movers:
-4 - Montenegro and Moldova
-3 - Portugal, Albania and Armenia
-2 - Denmark, Czech Republic, Sweden, Belarus, Israel and Finland
Most points gained:
62 - Poland
59 - Italy
54 - Scotland
Most points lost:
-147 - Montenegro
-95 - Portugal
-68 - Belarus
Rank - Previous rank - Team - Total points
1 1 Spain 1360
2 2 Netherlands 1327
3 3 Germany 1078
4 4 England 1008
5 4 Norway 934
6 8 Croatia 907
7 9 Greece 906
8 11 Italy 874
9 6 Portugal 857
-----------------------------------
10 9 Russia 830
11 7 Montenegro 760
12 12 France 748
13 14 Slovakia 737
14 15 Slovenia 721
15 13 Denmark 709
16 18 Serbia 686
17 16 Switzerland 682
18 20 Turkey 659
-----------------------------------
19 17 Czech Republic 649
20 22 Ukraine 627
21 19 Sweden 624
22 23 Hungary 548
23 21 Belarus 543
24 25 Republic of Ireland 524
25 24 Lithuania 506
26 30 Scotland 504
27 26 Bulgaria 477
-----------------------------------
28 28 Belgium 469
29 27 Israel 458
30 29 Northern Ireland 452
31 34 Romania 442
31 32 Austria 442
33 42 Poland 428
34 31 Albania 422
35 35 Bosnia-Herzegovina 418
36 33 Armenia 404
-----------------------------------
37 37 Latvia 402
38 38 Cyprus 387
39 40 Georgia 386
40 36 Moldova 383
41 39 Finland 366
42 41 Estonia 337
43 43 FYR Macedonia 331
44 44 Azerbaijan 282
45 45 Wales 223
-----------------------------------
46 47 Luxembourg 213
47 46 Iceland 205
48 48 Faroe Islands 156
49 49 Kazakhstan 145
50 50 Liechtenstein 109
51 51 Malta 83
52 52 Andorra 0
52 52 San Marino 0
2014 FIFA World Cup seeding for CONCACAF teams (11 February 2011)
Next update: 1 April 2011
As usual with CONCACAF things are constantly changing. The draw won't take place on May 31st as some some papers in Central America have reported, but on July 31st. Which ranking will be used to seed the teams? Well... I don't know.
Here's the intermediate July 2011 ranking - it means the 2007 Gold Cup results are dropped, while the 2009 Gold Cup loses value. Of course, teams involved in the 2011 Gold Cup can climb depending on their performance.
Rank - Previous rank - Team - Total points
May 2011 intermediate ranking
El Salvador replace Canada in the first pot.
Rank - Previous rank - Team - Total points
As usual with CONCACAF things are constantly changing. The draw won't take place on May 31st as some some papers in Central America have reported, but on July 31st. Which ranking will be used to seed the teams? Well... I don't know.
Here's the intermediate July 2011 ranking - it means the 2007 Gold Cup results are dropped, while the 2009 Gold Cup loses value. Of course, teams involved in the 2011 Gold Cup can climb depending on their performance.
Rank - Previous rank - Team - Total points
1 1 Honduras 556
2 2 USA 538
3 3 Jamaica 483
4 4 Mexico 480
5 5 Costa Rica 423
6 6 Cuba 402
7 7 Trinidad and Tobago 379
8 8 Panama 375
----------------------------------------
9 9 Antigua and Barbuda 324
10 10 Suriname 296
11 13 El Salvador 294
12 12 Grenada 289
13 11 Guyana 282
14 14 Haiti 256
15 15 St. Kitts and Nevis 245
16 16 Canada 196
----------------------------------------
17 17 Dominica 193
18 18 Barbados 191
19 19 Guatemala 183
20 20 Puerto Rico 167
21 21 Netherlands Antilles 128
22 22 St. Vincent and the Grenadines 115
23 23 Cayman Islands 90
24 24 Dominican Republic 66
----------------------------------------
24 24 Nicaragua 66
26 26 Belize 64
27 27 Bermuda 40
28 28 British Virgin Islands 38
29 29 St. Lucia 31
30 30 Turks and Caicos Islands 13
31 31 Bahamas 9
32 32 Aruba 7
----------------------------------------
33 33 US Virgin Islands 3
34 34 Anguilla 0
34 34 Montserrat 0
May 2011 intermediate ranking
El Salvador replace Canada in the first pot.
Rank - Previous rank - Team - Total points
1 1 USA 842
2 2 Mexico 761
3 3 Honduras 629
4 4 Jamaica 596
5 5 Costa Rica 533
6 6 Cuba 510
7 7 Panama 487
8 9 El Salvador 386
----------------------------------------
9 10 Grenada 384
10 8 Canada 375
11 11 Trinidad and Tobago 353
12 12 Haiti 348
13 13 Antigua and Barbuda 322
14 14 Guyana 284
15 15 Suriname 267
16 16 St. Kitts and Nevis 247
----------------------------------------
17 17 Guatemala 222
18 18 Dominica 193
19 19 Puerto Rico 180
19 19 Barbados 180
21 21 Netherlands Antilles 121
22 22 St. Vincent and the Grenadines 116
23 23 Cayman Islands 90
24 24 Bermuda 80
----------------------------------------
25 25 Nicaragua 75
26 26 Belize 66
26 26 Dominican Republic 66
28 28 British Virgin Islands 38
29 29 St. Lucia 31
30 30 Turks and Caicos Islands 13
31 31 Bahamas 8
32 32 Aruba 7
----------------------------------------
33 33 US Virgin Islands 3
34 34 Anguilla 0
34 34 Montserrat 0
2014 FIFA World Cup seeding for CAF (11 February 2011)
Next update: 1 April 2011
Assumptions:
- CAF will again have 5 spots
- CAF will keep the current qualifying system
- FIFA will use the FIFA ranking to seed the teams
- CAF will choose the July 2011 ranking for seeding
The July 2011 FIFA ranking will include matches played between July 2007 and July 2011. We already have 50% of the formula. Things can still change as there are many matches to be played involving African teams: CAN 2012 qualifiers and plenty of friendlies.
This the July 2011 ranking (for CAF only) using matches played up to and including February 10th, 2011 and matches scheduled up to July 2011 (only those on fifa.com).
The "1.0" part is computed this way: points gained / (number of matches played + scheduled).
Senegal and Libya replace Guinea and Benin in the first pot.
Central African Republic replace Niger in the second pot.
Guinea-Bissau replace Rwanda in the third pot.
Best movers:
7 - Senegal
4 - Libya
3 - Central African Republic and Guinea-Bissau
Worst movers:
-4 - Botswana, Guinea, Benin and Uganda
-3 - Sudan
-2 - Angola and Tanzania
Most points gained:
68 - Egypt
57 - Senegal
56 - Cameroon
Most points lost:
-55 - Botswana
-53 - Sudan
-43 - Guinea
Rank - Previous rank - Team - Total points
Assumptions:
- CAF will again have 5 spots
- CAF will keep the current qualifying system
- FIFA will use the FIFA ranking to seed the teams
- CAF will choose the July 2011 ranking for seeding
The July 2011 FIFA ranking will include matches played between July 2007 and July 2011. We already have 50% of the formula. Things can still change as there are many matches to be played involving African teams: CAN 2012 qualifiers and plenty of friendlies.
This the July 2011 ranking (for CAF only) using matches played up to and including February 10th, 2011 and matches scheduled up to July 2011 (only those on fifa.com).
The "1.0" part is computed this way: points gained / (number of matches played + scheduled).
Senegal and Libya replace Guinea and Benin in the first pot.
Central African Republic replace Niger in the second pot.
Guinea-Bissau replace Rwanda in the third pot.
Best movers:
7 - Senegal
4 - Libya
3 - Central African Republic and Guinea-Bissau
Worst movers:
-4 - Botswana, Guinea, Benin and Uganda
-3 - Sudan
-2 - Angola and Tanzania
Most points gained:
68 - Egypt
57 - Senegal
56 - Cameroon
Most points lost:
-55 - Botswana
-53 - Sudan
-43 - Guinea
Rank - Previous rank - Team - Total points
1 2 Egypt 709
2 1 Côte d'Ivoire 701
3 4 Ghana 576
4 6 Cameroon 550
4 3 Burkina Faso 550
6 5 Gabon 535
7 8 Nigeria 485
8 9 Tunisia 474
9 11 Algeria 431
10 17 Senegal 427
11 7 Botswana 423
12 16 Libya 422
----------------------------------
13 15 South Africa 412
14 10 Guinea 402
15 14 Malawi 387
16 12 Benin 380
17 13 Uganda 371
18 19 Cape Verde Islands 351
19 18 Mali 349
20 22 Morocco 325
21 20 Zambia 321
22 23 Mozambique 314
23 26 Central African Republic 263
24 21 Sudan 262
----------------------------------
25 24 Niger 259
26 27 Gambia 257
27 25 Angola 256
28 28 Togo 238
29 30 Sierra Leone 217
30 31 Zimbabwe 212
31 29 Tanzania 211
32 32 Congo 206
33 35 Congo DR 182
34 33 Kenya 173
35 34 Ethiopia 149
36 39 Guinea-Bissau 142
----------------------------------
37 36 Rwanda 138
38 37 Chad 127
39 38 Burundi 113
40 40 Namibia 104
41 41 Madagascar 92
42 44 Equatorial Guinea 83
43 42 Liberia 77
44 43 Swaziland 68
45 45 Lesotho 44
46 46 Mauritania 32
47 47 Eritrea 29
48 48 Somalia 23
----------------------------------
49 49 Comoros 19
50 50 Djibouti 12
51 51 Mauritius 10
52 52 Seychelles 7
53 53 Sao Tome e Principe 0
2014 FIFA World Cup seeding update (11 February 2011)
Next update: 1 April 2011
See more info in the original 2014 FIFA World Cup seeding post.
Japan, Australia, Korea Republic replace Portugal, Egypt and Uruguay because of the 2011 AFC Asian Cup.
This is the top 20 of the intermediate October 2013 FIFA ranking:
France are 28th, Italy 38th, USA 47th, Mexico 62nd.
Right now, the seeds for the 2014 World Cup would be: Brazil (hosts), Spain (holders), Netherlands, Japan, Argentina, Australia, Germany and Korea Republic.
See more info in the original 2014 FIFA World Cup seeding post.
Japan, Australia, Korea Republic replace Portugal, Egypt and Uruguay because of the 2011 AFC Asian Cup.
This is the top 20 of the intermediate October 2013 FIFA ranking:
| 1 | Netherlands | 233 |
| 2 | Spain | 228 |
| 3 | Japan | 209 |
| 4 | Argentina | 201 |
| 5 | Australia | 197 |
| 6 | Germany | 194 |
| 7 | Korea Republic | 189 |
| 8 | Iran | 181 |
| 9 | Egypt | 174 |
| 10 | England | 154 |
| 11 | Portugal | 148 |
| 12 | Uruguay | 147 |
| 13 | Norway | 142 |
| 14 | Brazil | 141 |
| 15 | Greece | 139 |
| 16 | Croatia | 132 |
| 16 | Jordan | 132 |
| 18 | Montenegro | 131 |
| 19 | Slovenia | 129 |
| 19 | Jamaica | 129 |
France are 28th, Italy 38th, USA 47th, Mexico 62nd.
Right now, the seeds for the 2014 World Cup would be: Brazil (hosts), Spain (holders), Netherlands, Japan, Argentina, Australia, Germany and Korea Republic.
FIFA Ranking without friendly games (February 2011)
By request of a Ghanaian national team supporter.
This is the top 50 of the February 2011 FIFA ranking without friendly games. Developmental tournaments are considered friendlies by FIFA. AFC Challenge Cup, AFF Cup, EAFF Championship, Gulf Cup, WAFF Cup, COSAFA Cup, CECAFA Cup etc.
Top 50 teams only (in at least one of the two rankings)
Most places gained:
37 - Jordan
27 - Botswana
17 - Paraguay
16 - South Africa and Panama
15 - New Zealand
14 - Iran
10 - Denmark
9 - Lithuania
7 - Honduras
Most places lost:
-56 - Ukraine
-35 - Burkina Faso
-23 - Colombia
-17 - Guinea
-14 - Bosnia-Herzegovina
-10 - Norway
-9 - Sweden
-8 - Russia and Egypt
-7 - Slovenia, France, Croatia and Cameroon
Order of columns:
- Rank
- Team
- Points
- Rank in the official February 2011 FIFA Ranking
- Points in the official February 2011 FIFA Ranking
This is the top 50 of the February 2011 FIFA ranking without friendly games. Developmental tournaments are considered friendlies by FIFA. AFC Challenge Cup, AFF Cup, EAFF Championship, Gulf Cup, WAFF Cup, COSAFA Cup, CECAFA Cup etc.
Top 50 teams only (in at least one of the two rankings)
Most places gained:
37 - Jordan
27 - Botswana
17 - Paraguay
16 - South Africa and Panama
15 - New Zealand
14 - Iran
10 - Denmark
9 - Lithuania
7 - Honduras
Most places lost:
-56 - Ukraine
-35 - Burkina Faso
-23 - Colombia
-17 - Guinea
-14 - Bosnia-Herzegovina
-10 - Norway
-9 - Sweden
-8 - Russia and Egypt
-7 - Slovenia, France, Croatia and Cameroon
Order of columns:
- Rank
- Team
- Points
- Rank in the official February 2011 FIFA Ranking
- Points in the official February 2011 FIFA Ranking
| 1 | Spain | 2608 | 1 | 1887 |
| 2 | Netherlands | 2480 | 2 | 1723 |
| 3 | Argentina | 2181 | 5 | 1367 |
| 4 | Brazil | 2088 | 4 | 1446 |
| 5 | Germany | 2073 | 3 | 1485 |
| 6 | England | 1615 | 6 | 1195 |
| 7 | Paraguay | 1544 | 24 | 832 |
| 8 | Uruguay | 1537 | 7 | 1152 |
| 9 | Chile | 1486 | 14 | 947 |
| 10 | Ghana | 1422 | 15 | 940 |
| 11 | Japan | 1365 | 17 | 882 |
| 12 | Italy | 1336 | 13 | 965 |
| 13 | Portugal | 1332 | 8 | 1090 |
| 14 | Slovakia | 1322 | 20 | 854 |
| 15 | Greece | 1310 | 10 | 1016 |
| 16 | Croatia | 1287 | 9 | 1075 |
| 17 | USA | 1236 | 18 | 869 |
| 18 | Denmark | 1211 | 28 | 802 |
| 19 | Switzerland | 1200 | 22 | 841 |
| 20 | Russia | 1159 | 12 | 982 |
| 21 | Norway | 1156 | 11 | 995 |
| 22 | Côte d'Ivoire | 1151 | 26 | 813 |
| 23 | Slovenia | 1141 | 16 | 897 |
| 24 | Mexico | 1121 | 27 | 803 |
| 25 | Australia | 1110 | 21 | 847 |
| 26 | France | 1106 | 19 | 867 |
| 27 | Serbia | 1099 | 23 | 837 |
| 28 | Korea Republic | 1075 | 32 | 735 |
| 29 | Montenegro | 963 | 25 | 824 |
| 30 | Iran | 922 | 44 | 571 |
| 31 | South Africa | 893 | 47 | 562 |
| 32 | Honduras | 868 | 39 | 613 |
| 33 | Northern Ireland | 846 | 38 | 615 |
| 34 | Hungary | 838 | 37 | 632 |
| 35 | Czech Republic | 836 | 30 | 751 |
| 36 | Turkey | 818 | 31 | 741 |
| 37 | Belarus | 804 | 36 | 655 |
| 38 | Sweden | 799 | 29 | 759 |
| 39 | Republic of Ireland | 779 | 35 | 681 |
| 40 | Botswana | 774 | 67 | 496 |
| 41 | Egypt | 733 | 33 | 709 |
| 42 | Costa Rica | 727 | 48 | 560 |
| 43 | Nigeria | 702 | 40 | 604 |
| 44 | Panama | 697 | 60 | 518 |
| 45 | Austria | 683 | 45 | 569 |
| 46 | Lithuania | 679 | 55 | 532 |
| 47 | Jordan | 678 | 84 | 399 |
| 47 | Tunisia | 678 | 48 | 560 |
| 49 | New Zealand | 676 | 64 | 506 |
| 50 | Cameroon | 633 | 43 | 582 |
FIFA Ranking: March 2011 preview (II)
Next update: March 4th, 2011.
FIFA will publish the March ranking on March 9th.
Cyprus - Sweden 0 - 2 was removed from the list of "A" matches, because Cyprus made 7 substitutions.
Only a couple of matches left before the deadline.
14 Feb Bahrain - Kuwait
16 Feb Macau - Cambodia
16 Feb Laos - Chinese Taipei
This is how the values could change for these 6 teams:
Bahrain (L: 339, D: 344, W: 352)
Kuwait (L: 304, D: 308, W: 316)
Chinese Taipei (L: 107, D: 114, PSO Win: 121, W: 128)
Cambodia (L: 94, D: 102, PSO Win: 111, W: 119)
Laos (L: 52, D: 57, PSO Win: 63, W: 68)
Macau (L: 14, D: 22, PSO Win: 31, W: 39)
The values displayed in the table below are the lowest possible.
FIFA.com also lists the two legs of the Afghanistan - Bhutan AFC Challenge Cup playoff. However, the first leg, scheduled for Feb 9 was postponed and I'm not sure when and if they will play. For the purpose of this preview I assumed they won't play.
Two changes in the top 10. Argentina overtake Brazil for 4th, while Portugal drop to 9th, with Croatia moving up.
American Samoa, Anguilla, Montserrat, Papua New Guinea and San Marino climb 1 place to join Andorra in the 202nd spot.
Best movers:
18 - Equatorial Guinea
14 - Luxembourg
12 - Jamaica and Cambodia
Worst movers:
-21 - Turkmenistan
-17 - Bangladesh
-16 - Austria
Best movers in the top 50:
12 - Jamaica
6 - Ecuador
3 - Serbia, Korea Republic, Tunisia and Scotland
Worst movers in the top 50:
-16 - Austria
-14 - Bosnia-Herzegovina
-5 - Costa Rica
Jamaica rise to 4th in CONCACAF, with Costa Rica dropping to 5th.
Argentina now first in CONMEBOL, replacing Brazil.
Portugal drop out of the European top 5, replaced by Croatia.
Three teams will improve their best ever ranking:
Hungary (36th - 37th in February 2011)
Antigua and Barbuda (101st - 103rd in January 2011)
Cambodia (154th - 156th in July 1998)
Sri Lanka will drop to 173rd - their worst ever ranking. They were 170th in February 2008.
February 2011 rank - Team - February 2011 points - +/- Ranking - +/- Points
FIFA will publish the March ranking on March 9th.
Cyprus - Sweden 0 - 2 was removed from the list of "A" matches, because Cyprus made 7 substitutions.
Only a couple of matches left before the deadline.
14 Feb Bahrain - Kuwait
16 Feb Macau - Cambodia
16 Feb Laos - Chinese Taipei
This is how the values could change for these 6 teams:
Bahrain (L: 339, D: 344, W: 352)
Kuwait (L: 304, D: 308, W: 316)
Chinese Taipei (L: 107, D: 114, PSO Win: 121, W: 128)
Cambodia (L: 94, D: 102, PSO Win: 111, W: 119)
Laos (L: 52, D: 57, PSO Win: 63, W: 68)
Macau (L: 14, D: 22, PSO Win: 31, W: 39)
The values displayed in the table below are the lowest possible.
FIFA.com also lists the two legs of the Afghanistan - Bhutan AFC Challenge Cup playoff. However, the first leg, scheduled for Feb 9 was postponed and I'm not sure when and if they will play. For the purpose of this preview I assumed they won't play.
Two changes in the top 10. Argentina overtake Brazil for 4th, while Portugal drop to 9th, with Croatia moving up.
American Samoa, Anguilla, Montserrat, Papua New Guinea and San Marino climb 1 place to join Andorra in the 202nd spot.
Best movers:
18 - Equatorial Guinea
14 - Luxembourg
12 - Jamaica and Cambodia
Worst movers:
-21 - Turkmenistan
-17 - Bangladesh
-16 - Austria
Best movers in the top 50:
12 - Jamaica
6 - Ecuador
3 - Serbia, Korea Republic, Tunisia and Scotland
Worst movers in the top 50:
-16 - Austria
-14 - Bosnia-Herzegovina
-5 - Costa Rica
Jamaica rise to 4th in CONCACAF, with Costa Rica dropping to 5th.
Argentina now first in CONMEBOL, replacing Brazil.
Portugal drop out of the European top 5, replaced by Croatia.
Three teams will improve their best ever ranking:
Hungary (36th - 37th in February 2011)
Antigua and Barbuda (101st - 103rd in January 2011)
Cambodia (154th - 156th in July 1998)
Sri Lanka will drop to 173rd - their worst ever ranking. They were 170th in February 2008.
February 2011 rank - Team - February 2011 points - +/- Ranking - +/- Points
| 1 | Spain | 1880 | 0 | -7 |
| 2 | Netherlands | 1730 | 0 | 7 |
| 3 | Germany | 1486 | 0 | 1 |
| 4 | Argentina | 1412 | 1 | 45 |
| 5 | Brazil | 1411 | -1 | -35 |
| 6 | England | 1212 | 0 | 17 |
| 7 | Uruguay | 1172 | 0 | 20 |
| 8 | Croatia | 1071 | 1 | -4 |
| 9 | Portugal | 1060 | -1 | -30 |
| 10 | Greece | 1038 | 0 | 22 |
| 11 | Italy | 957 | 2 | -8 |
| 11 | Norway | 957 | 0 | -38 |
| 13 | Russia | 956 | -1 | -26 |
| 14 | Chile | 954 | 0 | 7 |
| 15 | Japan | 938 | 2 | 56 |
| 16 | Ghana | 931 | -1 | -9 |
| 17 | Slovenia | 916 | -1 | 19 |
| 18 | France | 913 | 1 | 46 |
| 19 | USA | 894 | -1 | 25 |
| 20 | Serbia | 872 | 3 | 35 |
| 21 | Australia | 870 | 0 | 23 |
| 22 | Slovakia | 861 | -2 | 7 |
| 23 | Switzerland | 839 | -1 | -2 |
| 24 | Paraguay | 835 | 0 | 3 |
| 25 | Côte d'Ivoire | 824 | 1 | 11 |
| 25 | Montenegro | 824 | 0 | 0 |
| 27 | Mexico | 811 | 0 | 8 |
| 28 | Denmark | 788 | 0 | -14 |
| 29 | Korea Republic | 749 | 3 | 14 |
| 30 | Sweden | 744 | -1 | -15 |
| 31 | Czech Republic | 739 | -1 | -12 |
| 32 | Turkey | 728 | -1 | -13 |
| 33 | Ukraine | 707 | 1 | 5 |
| 34 | Republic of Ireland | 699 | 1 | 18 |
| 35 | Egypt | 685 | -2 | -24 |
| 36 | Hungary | 654 | 1 | 22 |
| 37 | Belarus | 634 | -1 | -21 |
| 38 | Honduras | 620 | 1 | 7 |
| 39 | Nigeria | 609 | 1 | 5 |
| 40 | Burkina Faso | 605 | 1 | 7 |
| 40 | Northern Ireland | 605 | -2 | -10 |
| 42 | Cameroon | 580 | 1 | -2 |
| 43 | Iran | 574 | 1 | 3 |
| 44 | Guinea | 570 | 2 | 6 |
| 45 | Tunisia | 568 | 3 | 8 |
| 46 | South Africa | 565 | 1 | 3 |
| 47 | Jamaica | 555 | 12 | 30 |
| 48 | Ecuador | 553 | 6 | 16 |
| 49 | Bulgaria | 552 | 2 | -3 |
| 50 | Colombia | 551 | 0 | -7 |
| 50 | Scotland | 551 | 3 | 9 |
| 52 | Romania | 549 | 5 | 18 |
| 53 | Costa Rica | 542 | -5 | -18 |
| 54 | Lithuania | 541 | 1 | 9 |
| 55 | Algeria | 539 | 0 | 7 |
| 56 | Bosnia-Herzegovina | 534 | -14 | -49 |
| 56 | New Zealand | 534 | 8 | 28 |
| 58 | Israel | 532 | -6 | -19 |
| 59 | Peru | 530 | 9 | 44 |
| 60 | Gabon | 526 | 1 | 10 |
| 61 | Austria | 524 | -16 | -45 |
| 62 | Belgium | 512 | -4 | -14 |
| 63 | Venezuela | 505 | 0 | -8 |
| 64 | Cuba | 503 | 1 | 5 |
| 65 | Armenia | 501 | -3 | -13 |
| 66 | Morocco | 493 | 8 | 50 |
| 67 | Botswana | 487 | 0 | -9 |
| 68 | Panama | 482 | -8 | -36 |
| 69 | Senegal | 477 | 0 | 18 |
| 70 | Poland | 474 | 1 | 25 |
| 71 | Libya | 472 | -1 | 21 |
| 72 | Georgia | 469 | -1 | 20 |
| 73 | Latvia | 468 | 3 | 39 |
| 74 | Albania | 464 | -8 | -33 |
| 74 | Cape Verde Islands | 464 | -1 | 20 |
| 76 | China PR | 439 | -1 | 8 |
| 77 | Uzbekistan | 438 | 0 | 14 |
| 78 | Finland | 427 | 0 | 5 |
| 79 | Saudi Arabia | 416 | 3 | 6 |
| 80 | Benin | 413 | 3 | 10 |
| 81 | Jordan | 410 | 3 | 11 |
| 82 | FYR Macedonia | 400 | -3 | -18 |
| 83 | Estonia | 399 | 4 | 13 |
| 84 | Canada | 390 | -4 | -24 |
| 85 | Mali | 389 | -1 | -10 |
| 86 | Uganda | 385 | 0 | -9 |
| 87 | Moldova | 383 | -6 | -28 |
| 88 | Malawi | 381 | 1 | 10 |
| 89 | Iraq | 379 | -1 | -2 |
| 90 | Qatar | 377 | 0 | 9 |
| 91 | Cyprus | 376 | 0 | 9 |
| 92 | El Salvador | 373 | 6 | 26 |
| 93 | Mozambique | 368 | 1 | 17 |
| 94 | Grenada | 360 | -2 | 3 |
| 95 | Trinidad and Tobago | 352 | -1 | 1 |
| 96 | Bahrain | 339 | -3 | -15 |
| 97 | Bolivia | 332 | 2 | -12 |
| 97 | Zambia | 332 | 4 | 2 |
| 99 | Haiti | 325 | -3 | -24 |
| 100 | Azerbaijan | 321 | -1 | -23 |
| 101 | Antigua and Barbuda | 313 | 3 | 10 |
| 102 | Togo | 311 | 1 | -2 |
| 103 | Kuwait | 304 | -2 | -26 |
| 104 | Angola | 299 | 3 | 2 |
| 104 | Niger | 299 | -8 | -50 |
| 106 | Sudan | 298 | 0 | -3 |
| 107 | Gambia | 297 | 1 | 7 |
| 108 | Syria | 295 | -3 | -7 |
| 109 | Guyana | 284 | 3 | 10 |
| 110 | Oman | 275 | 0 | -6 |
| 111 | United Arab Emirates | 264 | 0 | -14 |
| 112 | Central African Republic | 263 | 2 | 0 |
| 113 | Korea DPR | 259 | -4 | -30 |
| 114 | Suriname | 257 | 3 | 0 |
| 115 | Iceland | 256 | -1 | -7 |
| 116 | Wales | 251 | 0 | -10 |
| 117 | Luxembourg | 248 | 14 | 63 |
| 118 | Thailand | 247 | 2 | 10 |
| 119 | St. Kitts and Nevis | 245 | -1 | 3 |
| 120 | Congo | 240 | -1 | 1 |
| 121 | Tanzania | 235 | 2 | 4 |
| 122 | Sierra Leone | 233 | -1 | 0 |
| 123 | Congo DR | 232 | -1 | 0 |
| 124 | Ethiopia | 231 | -1 | 0 |
| 125 | Guatemala | 220 | 1 | 0 |
| 126 | Yemen | 219 | -1 | -11 |
| 127 | Zimbabwe | 213 | -14 | -51 |
| 128 | Kenya | 202 | -1 | -6 |
| 129 | Indonesia | 201 | 0 | 9 |
| 130 | Dominica | 193 | -2 | -3 |
| 131 | Puerto Rico | 187 | -1 | 0 |
| 132 | Kazakhstan | 178 | 5 | 17 |
| 133 | Rwanda | 175 | 2 | 4 |
| 134 | Vietnam | 172 | 0 | 0 |
| 135 | Faroe Islands | 171 | 0 | 0 |
| 136 | Guinea-Bissau | 168 | 10 | 47 |
| 137 | Barbados | 167 | -5 | -16 |
| 138 | Malaysia | 145 | 2 | 0 |
| 139 | Singapore | 142 | 3 | 3 |
| 140 | Namibia | 139 | -2 | -18 |
| 141 | Hong Kong | 138 | 2 | 0 |
| 142 | Chad | 135 | -3 | -12 |
| 143 | Liechtenstein | 134 | 4 | 18 |
| 144 | Burundi | 133 | 0 | -1 |
| 145 | India | 126 | 0 | 0 |
| 146 | Netherlands Antilles | 115 | 4 | 8 |
| 147 | Equatorial Guinea | 113 | 18 | 41 |
| 147 | St. Vincent and the Grenadines | 113 | 1 | 3 |
| 147 | Tajikistan | 113 | -6 | -28 |
| 150 | Chinese Taipei | 107 | 4 | 14 |
| 151 | Philippines | 106 | 1 | 5 |
| 152 | Fiji | 103 | -1 | 0 |
| 153 | New Caledonia | 97 | 0 | 0 |
| 154 | Cambodia | 94 | 12 | 26 |
| 154 | Turkmenistan | 94 | -21 | -88 |
| 156 | Madagascar | 91 | -1 | 0 |
| 156 | Malta | 91 | 7 | 15 |
| 158 | Cayman Islands | 90 | -2 | 2 |
| 159 | Swaziland | 86 | -1 | 4 |
| 160 | Liberia | 82 | -2 | 0 |
| 161 | Maldives | 81 | -1 | 0 |
| 161 | Myanmar | 81 | -12 | -27 |
| 163 | Vanuatu | 76 | 0 | 0 |
| 164 | Nicaragua | 75 | -3 | -4 |
| 165 | Bermuda | 74 | 2 | 7 |
| 166 | Belize | 66 | 3 | 2 |
| 166 | Dominican Republic | 66 | 2 | 0 |
| 168 | Lesotho | 63 | 3 | 1 |
| 169 | Lebanon | 58 | 3 | -3 |
| 170 | Pakistan | 56 | 3 | 0 |
| 171 | Nepal | 54 | 3 | 0 |
| 172 | Laos | 52 | -3 | -12 |
| 173 | Sri Lanka | 51 | -12 | -28 |
| 174 | Bangladesh | 49 | -17 | -35 |
| 174 | Kyrgyzstan | 49 | 1 | -1 |
| 174 | Mauritania | 49 | 2 | 0 |
| 177 | British Virgin Islands | 41 | 0 | 0 |
| 178 | Eritrea | 40 | 0 | 0 |
| 178 | Palestine | 40 | 0 | 0 |
| 178 | Solomon Islands | 40 | 0 | 0 |
| 181 | St. Lucia | 37 | 0 | 0 |
| 182 | Mongolia | 32 | 0 | 0 |
| 183 | Tahiti | 31 | 0 | 0 |
| 184 | Samoa | 26 | 0 | 0 |
| 185 | Somalia | 23 | 0 | 0 |
| 186 | Comoros | 19 | 0 | 0 |
| 187 | Cook Islands | 17 | 1 | 0 |
| 187 | Guam | 17 | 1 | 0 |
| 187 | Tonga | 17 | 1 | 0 |
| 190 | Mauritius | 16 | 1 | 0 |
| 191 | Djibouti | 15 | 1 | 0 |
| 192 | Macau | 14 | 1 | 0 |
| 193 | Bahamas | 13 | 1 | 0 |
| 193 | Turks and Caicos Islands | 13 | -7 | -6 |
| 195 | Afghanistan | 10 | 0 | 0 |
| 195 | Seychelles | 10 | 0 | 0 |
| 197 | Bhutan | 9 | 0 | 0 |
| 197 | Brunei Darussalam | 9 | 0 | 0 |
| 199 | Aruba | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| 200 | US Virgin Islands | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| 201 | Timor-Leste | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 202 | American Samoa | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 202 | Andorra | 0 | 0 | -2 |
| 202 | Anguilla | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 202 | Montserrat | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 202 | Papua New Guinea | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 202 | San Marino | 0 | 1 | 0 |