Computing the ranking without the confederations rankings would have seen Cameroon on top in July and August 2003. Between August 1997 and March 2011 there have been 159 FIFA ranking releases. In 152 of them there would have been at least one African team in the top 10.
Teams that would have made it in the top 10:
Team - Highest ranking
| Cameroon | 1 |
| Nigeria | 2 |
| Egypt | 3 |
| Togo | 3 |
| Côte d'Ivoire | 5 |
| Morocco | 5 |
| Senegal | 5 |
| South Africa | 5 |
| Tunisia | 5 |
| Angola | 6 |
| Ghana | 6 |
| Congo DR | 8 |
Looking strictly at the March 2011 ranking (see at the end of the post), here are the main differences:
Top 10 differences for countries with a better FIFA Ranking:
Team - Ranking without weightings - FIFA Ranking - Difference
| Scotland | 71 | 50 | 21 |
| Bulgaria | 67 | 47 | 20 |
| Hungary | 54 | 36 | 18 |
| Bosnia-Herzegovina | 74 | 56 | 18 |
| Moldova | 105 | 87 | 18 |
| Israel | 75 | 58 | 17 |
| Latvia | 92 | 75 | 17 |
| Northern Ireland | 56 | 40 | 16 |
| Belgium | 78 | 62 | 16 |
| Estonia | 98 | 82 | 16 |
Top 10 differences for countries with a better Ranking without weightings:
Team - Ranking without weightings - FIFA Ranking - Difference
| Libya | 52 | 71 | -19 |
| Botswana | 49 | 67 | -18 |
| Gabon | 43 | 60 | -17 |
| Morocco | 50 | 66 | -16 |
| Cape Verde Islands | 57 | 73 | -16 |
| Uzbekistan | 62 | 77 | -15 |
| Senegal | 55 | 69 | -14 |
| Saudi Arabia | 65 | 79 | -14 |
| Benin | 66 | 80 | -14 |
| Algeria | 43 | 55 | -12 |
Top 50 nations only (in the top 50 in at least one of the rankings)
Top 10 differences for countries with a better FIFA Ranking:
Team - Ranking without weightings - FIFA Ranking - Difference
| Scotland | 71 | 50 | 21 |
| Bulgaria | 67 | 47 | 20 |
| Hungary | 54 | 36 | 18 |
| Northern Ireland | 56 | 40 | 16 |
| Republic of Ireland | 45 | 34 | 11 |
| Belarus | 48 | 37 | 11 |
| Ecuador | 60 | 49 | 11 |
| Colombia | 61 | 50 | 11 |
| Norway | 21 | 11 | 10 |
| Italy | 19 | 11 | 8 |
Top 10 differences for countries with a better Ranking without weightings:
Team - Ranking without weightings - FIFA Ranking - Difference
| Botswana | 49 | 67 | -18 |
| Gabon | 43 | 60 | -17 |
| Morocco | 50 | 66 | -16 |
| Algeria | 43 | 55 | -12 |
| Côte d'Ivoire | 14 | 25 | -11 |
| Mexico | 17 | 27 | -10 |
| Egypt | 25 | 35 | -10 |
| Guinea | 34 | 44 | -10 |
| Tunisia | 35 | 45 | -10 |
| USA | 10 | 19 | -9 |
This is the March 2011 ranking without confederation weightings:
Rank - Team - Points
| 1 | Spain | 1860 |
| 2 | Netherlands | 1704 |
| 3 | Argentina | 1492 |
| 4 | Brazil | 1487 |
| 5 | Germany | 1455 |
| 6 | Uruguay | 1263 |
| 7 | England | 1190 |
| 8 | Ghana | 1106 |
| 8 | Japan | 1106 |
| 10 | USA | 1066 |
| 11 | Portugal | 1033 |
| 12 | Australia | 1028 |
| 13 | Greece | 997 |
| 14 | Côte d'Ivoire | 994 |
| 15 | Croatia | 987 |
| 16 | Chile | 980 |
| 17 | Mexico | 935 |
| 18 | Slovenia | 916 |
| 19 | Italy | 900 |
| 20 | Russia | 896 |
| 21 | Norway | 894 |
| 22 | Korea Republic | 889 |
| 23 | France | 867 |
| 24 | Paraguay | 860 |
| 25 | Egypt | 856 |
| 26 | Slovakia | 842 |
| 27 | Serbia | 836 |
| 28 | Switzerland | 799 |
| 29 | Denmark | 776 |
| 30 | Nigeria | 755 |
| 31 | Burkina Faso | 754 |
| 32 | Montenegro | 753 |
| 33 | Honduras | 736 |
| 34 | Guinea | 711 |
| 35 | Tunisia | 710 |
| 36 | Sweden | 706 |
| 37 | Czech Republic | 703 |
| 38 | Cameroon | 698 |
| 39 | Iran | 688 |
| 40 | Turkey | 682 |
| 41 | Ukraine | 672 |
| 42 | Jamaica | 661 |
| 43 | Gabon | 659 |
| 43 | Algeria | 659 |
| 45 | Republic of Ireland | 655 |
| 46 | South Africa | 651 |
| 47 | Costa Rica | 642 |
| 48 | Belarus | 607 |
| 49 | Botswana | 605 |
| 50 | Morocco | 599 |
| 51 | New Zealand | 598 |
| 52 | Libya | 595 |
| 53 | Cuba | 592 |
| 54 | Hungary | 588 |
| 55 | Senegal | 582 |
| 56 | Northern Ireland | 571 |
| 57 | Cape Verde Islands | 567 |
| 57 | Panama | 567 |
| 59 | Peru | 564 |
| 60 | Ecuador | 562 |
| 61 | Colombia | 559 |
| 62 | Uzbekistan | 529 |
| 63 | Romania | 518 |
| 64 | Venezuela | 517 |
| 65 | Saudi Arabia | 510 |
| 66 | Benin | 509 |
| 67 | Bulgaria | 507 |
| 68 | Lithuania | 506 |
| 69 | China PR | 504 |
| 70 | Jordan | 501 |
| 71 | Scotland | 500 |
| 72 | Austria | 491 |
| 73 | Mali | 486 |
| 74 | Bosnia-Herzegovina | 483 |
| 75 | Israel | 479 |
| 75 | Uganda | 479 |
| 77 | Malawi | 476 |
| 78 | Belgium | 472 |
| 79 | Armenia | 471 |
| 80 | Canada | 465 |
| 81 | Iraq | 459 |
| 82 | Poland | 457 |
| 83 | Mozambique | 455 |
| 84 | Qatar | 453 |
| 85 | El Salvador | 446 |
| 86 | Georgia | 444 |
| 87 | Albania | 424 |
| 88 | Bahrain | 421 |
| 89 | Grenada | 420 |
| 90 | Zambia | 415 |
| 91 | Trinidad and Tobago | 414 |
| 92 | Latvia | 409 |
| 93 | Finland | 392 |
| 94 | Togo | 390 |
| 95 | FYR Macedonia | 386 |
| 96 | Haiti | 383 |
| 97 | Kuwait | 378 |
| 98 | Estonia | 375 |
| 99 | Gambia | 371 |
| 100 | Sudan | 369 |
| 101 | Angola | 368 |
| 102 | Antigua and Barbuda | 363 |
| 103 | Syria | 362 |
| 103 | Niger | 362 |
| 105 | Moldova | 352 |
| 106 | Cyprus | 348 |
| 107 | Oman | 338 |
| 108 | Bolivia | 337 |
| 109 | Central African Republic | 332 |
| 110 | Guyana | 326 |
| 111 | Korea DPR | 313 |
| 111 | United Arab Emirates | 313 |
| 113 | Azerbaijan | 312 |
| 114 | Congo | 298 |
| 115 | Thailand | 295 |
| 116 | Congo DR | 294 |
| 117 | Suriname | 293 |
| 117 | Tanzania | 293 |
| 119 | Ethiopia | 288 |
| 120 | Sierra Leone | 286 |
| 121 | St. Kitts and Nevis | 279 |
| 122 | Yemen | 267 |
| 123 | Zimbabwe | 264 |
| 124 | Guatemala | 262 |
| 125 | Kenya | 257 |
| 126 | Iceland | 246 |
| 127 | Indonesia | 243 |
| 128 | Luxembourg | 236 |
| 129 | Wales | 229 |
| 130 | Rwanda | 221 |
| 131 | Dominica | 220 |
| 132 | Puerto Rico | 215 |
| 133 | Vietnam | 209 |
| 134 | Guinea-Bissau | 203 |
| 135 | Barbados | 192 |
| 136 | Malaysia | 175 |
| 137 | Kazakhstan | 174 |
| 137 | Namibia | 174 |
| 139 | Singapore | 171 |
| 140 | Chad | 167 |
| 140 | Burundi | 167 |
| 142 | Hong Kong | 163 |
| 143 | Faroe Islands | 154 |
| 144 | India | 150 |
| 145 | Equatorial Guinea | 138 |
| 146 | Chinese Taipei | 134 |
| 147 | Curacao | 133 |
| 147 | Tajikistan | 133 |
| 149 | St. Vincent and the Grenadines | 129 |
| 150 | Philippines | 126 |
| 151 | Fiji | 125 |
| 152 | Liechtenstein | 122 |
| 153 | New Caledonia | 115 |
| 154 | Turkmenistan | 114 |
| 155 | Cambodia | 110 |
| 156 | Madagascar | 109 |
| 157 | Swaziland | 107 |
| 158 | Liberia | 105 |
| 159 | Cayman Islands | 103 |
| 160 | Maldives | 96 |
| 160 | Myanmar | 96 |
| 162 | Vanuatu | 90 |
| 162 | Bermuda | 90 |
| 164 | Nicaragua | 89 |
| 165 | Malta | 83 |
| 166 | Lesotho | 78 |
| 167 | Belize | 77 |
| 168 | Dominican Republic | 75 |
| 169 | Lebanon | 70 |
| 170 | Laos | 68 |
| 171 | Pakistan | 66 |
| 172 | Nepal | 64 |
| 173 | Mauritania | 61 |
| 173 | Sri Lanka | 61 |
| 175 | Kyrgyzstan | 59 |
| 176 | Bangladesh | 58 |
| 177 | Eritrea | 48 |
| 177 | British Virgin Islands | 48 |
| 179 | Solomon Islands | 47 |
| 179 | Palestine | 47 |
| 181 | Macau | 46 |
| 182 | St. Lucia | 43 |
| 183 | Mongolia | 38 |
| 184 | Tahiti | 37 |
| 185 | Samoa | 30 |
| 186 | Somalia | 29 |
| 187 | Comoros | 23 |
| 188 | Mauritius | 20 |
| 188 | Cook Islands | 20 |
| 188 | Guam | 20 |
| 188 | Tonga | 20 |
| 192 | Djibouti | 18 |
| 193 | Bahamas | 15 |
| 193 | Turks and Caicos Islands | 15 |
| 195 | Afghanistan | 12 |
| 196 | Seychelles | 11 |
| 196 | Bhutan | 11 |
| 196 | Brunei Darussalam | 11 |
| 199 | Aruba | 8 |
| 200 | US Virgin Islands | 6 |
| 201 | Timor-Leste | 3 |
| 202 | American Samoa | 0 |
| 202 | Andorra | 0 |
| 202 | Anguilla | 0 |
| 202 | Montserrat | 0 |
| 202 | Papua New Guinea | 0 |
| 202 | San Marino | 0 |
perhaps to even it out, FIFA should select only every second CONCACAF and CAF championships that carry the higher weighting, with the alternate ones carrying the same weighting as a friendly. I had worked out that for australia, a weighting difference of 0.01 extra (i.e. 0.86 vs. 0.85) would benefit australia (and other AFC teams playing similar matches) by around 9 points per year
ReplyDeleteWhy only African? CONCACAF also have their continental championship once every two years.
ReplyDeleteIt seems to me that the FIFA rankings without the confederation weightings are more accurate than with the weightings. I don't see why having an African team in the top 10 would be seen as a misrepresentation of their standing in world football.
ReplyDeleteSo if CAF & any other confederation playing two continental tournaments every 4 years, stopped that and only played one, then they should stop the weighting.
ReplyDeleteLooking at that top 9 nations: with the exception of Paraguay's exclusion & England's inclusion, that's the top 9 countries at the 2010 FWC. AFC countries shouldn't go down in rankings just cause of this crap bs weightings.
Notice all the teams that would be most greatly disadvantaged were the European teams.
Why only Africa? Well, because Mexico were only 3rd, with the US not going higher than 4th.
ReplyDeleteCameroon 1st in the FIFA ranking? That would be a misrepresentation of their standing in world football.
Also in the top 50, Ecuador and Colombia would be disadvantaged. That's to be expected since UEFA and CONMEBOL have the highest confederation weightings.
The ELO ranking works quite well without a confederation weighting. Also FIFA ranking basically says that e.g. a 30th placed Honduras aren't as strong as a 30th placed Norway.
ReplyDeleteI think they actually say a team wouldn't try as hard against a 30th placed Honduras just because they're from CONCACAF - I find this ridiculous.
ReplyDeleteMaybe they should just give half the points for the Gold Cup and African Cup of Nations.
ReplyDeleteVery late into this discussion, I know, but the Confederation coefficient is unfair. Why should Mexico get fewer points for beating Germany at the World Cup than England would for achieving the same result? Ridiculous!
ReplyDelete