FIFA Ranking: January 2013 probable ranking

Next update: 11 January 2013. 

Probable results computed using the Elo Ratings. See the list of results used for this ranking.

Not many changes expected. Cuba will rise again, as the final of the Caribbean Cup will be included in this month's calculation.

Ecuador will improve their best ever ranking - they will be 12th next month.

The January 2013 ranking will be used to compute the points for the 6 February 2013 matches.

FIFA Ranking: January 2013 probable results

Here are the probable results used for the January 2013 probable ranking. They are generated using the Elo Ratings.

Before posting comments like: "Hey my team actually beat the other team! It's a mistake!" please read the previous paragraph again and look when these results were posted (Yes, before the matches actually took place!) ;)

1 - First team wins
X - Draw
2 - Second team wins

FIFA Ranking: January 2013 preview

Next update: 11 January 2013.


Most points gained (worst case scenario):

44 - Cuba
30 - Equatorial Guinea
27 - Uzbekistan
26 - El Salvador
22 - Congo DR
19 - Libya
18 - Belize
16 - Paraguay
16 - Syria
12 - Sudan
 
Most points dropped (best case scenario):

-63 - Mali
-37 - Algeria
-32 - Sao Tome e Principe
-28 - Benin
-26 - United Arab Emirates
-24 - Trinidad and Tobago
-23 - Zambia
-19 - Chile
-17 - Egypt
-16 - Senegal

December 2012: FIFA Ranking vs. Elo Ratings

Top 10 differences for countries with a better Elo Rating:

Team - FIFA Ranking - Elo Rating - Difference

Syria	144	86	58
South Sudan	199	142	57
Fiji	169	122	47
Mauritania	206	163	43
Saudi Arabia	126	84	42
China PR	88	51	37
Bahrain	119	83	36
Korea DPR	99	64	35
Eritrea	196	161	35
New Zealand	91	57	34

FIFA Ranking: December 2012 final preview

FIFA will publish the ranking on 19 December.

I've used 16 December as deadline for matches. 17 teams can still change their totals:

Team - Minimum Points - Maximum Points - Worst possible rank - Best possible rank

Haiti	602	734	46	33
Poland	528	553	60	55
Iran	522	532	62	58
Trinidad and Tobago	483	561	72	55
FYR Macedonia	436	480	81	74
Angola	425	436	85	81
Jordan	364	373	99	94
Oman	361	369	99	94
Cuba	278	395	118	90
Saudi Arabia	264	282	127	116
Kuwait	263	281	127	116
Bahrain	260	275	127	118
Lebanon	259	274	127	119
Gambia	186	248	144	132
Syria	179	220	145	139
Palestine	152	168	153	149
Yemen	108	158	164	152

In the table below, the values used for these teams are the minimum possible.

FIFA Ranking: December 2012 probable ranking (IV)

Next update: 14 December 2012. 

FIFA will publish the ranking on 19 December.

Probable results computed using the Elo Ratings. See the list of results used for this ranking.

Couple of things will happen (not depending on probable results):

FIFA Ranking: December 2012 probable results (IV)

Here are the probable results used for the December 2012 probable ranking. They are generated using the Elo Ratings.

Before posting comments like: "Hey my team actually beat the other team! It's a mistake!" please read the previous paragraph again and look when these results were posted (Yes, before the matches actually took place!) ;)

1 - First team wins
X - Draw
2 - Second team wins

FIFA Ranking: December 2012 preview (IV)

Next update: 14 December 2012.

FIFA will publish the ranking on 19 December.

The top 21 teams are already set.

Haiti could climb to 22nd, Dominican Republic to 33rd.

Best teams to play against on 6 February 2013

I've used probable results for the 2012 Caribbean Cup and a couple of January friendlies.

This is based on (FIFA points for a win) / (actual effort from Elo rating).

Only teams that would bring at least 200 points for an OFC opponent:

FIFA Ranking: December 2012 probable ranking (III)

Next update: November / December 2012. 

FIFA will publish the ranking on 19 December.


Argentina - Brazil 2 - 1, Brazil won after PSO. In light of the Uganda - Zambia match, I gave Argentina 3 points and Brazil 0 points, since the Superclásico de las Américas was played over two legs.

Five competitions left: 2012 CECAFA Cup, 2012 AFF Suzuki Cup (group stage and semifinals), 2012 Caribbean Cup and 2012 WAFF Championship (group stage only) and the qualifiers for the 2013 EAFF Cup. 'Tis the season to be busy! :)

Probable results computed using the Elo Ratings. See the list of results used for this ranking.

FIFA Ranking: December 2012 probable results (III)

Here are the probable results used for the December 2012 probable ranking. They are generated using the Elo Ratings.

Before posting comments like: "Hey my team actually beat the other team! It's a mistake!" please read the previous paragraph again and look when these results were posted (Yes, before the matches actually took place!) ;)

1 - First team wins
X - Draw
2 - Second team wins

FIFA Ranking: December 2012 preview (III)

Next update: November / December 2012.

FIFA will publish the ranking on 19 December.

The top 21 teams are already set.

Haiti could climb to 22nd, Dominican Republic to 33rd.

Ecuador, Mali, Montserrat and Timor-Leste will improve their best ever ranking.

Côte d'Ivoire will return to their best ever ranking.

Brazil and Sri Lanka will fall to new lows.

EURO 2016 pots: How many points does my team need?

A Romanian journalist asked me two weeks ago how many wins does Romania need to climb in the second pot for the EURO 2016 qualifying draw.

Taking the EURO 2012 pots as a guide line (removing France and adding Poland and Ukraine), these are the thresholds:

Pot 1: 31268
Pot 2: 28133
Pot 3: 24381
Pot 4: 19409
Pot 5: 14730

EURO 2016 qualifying draw seeding (23 November 2012)

Next update: March / April 2013.

The coefficients for the EURO 2016 qualifying draw will take into account results from:

2010 World Cup (qualifiers and final tournament) - 20% of total weighting
EURO 2012 (qualifiers and final tournament) - 40% of total weighting
2014 World Cup (qualifiers) - 40% of total weighting

Click here for more info on the coefficient system.

France will host the final tournament.

The qualifying format is already known (but things might change): 9 groups (2 x 5, 7 x 6)

Top two from each group and the best team in third place advance. The other eight play-off for the final four spots.

2014 FIFA World Cup seeding update (23 November 2012)

Next update: February 2013

Includes matches up to and including 21 November 2012.

See more info in the original 2014 FIFA World Cup seeding post.

November 2012: FIFA Ranking vs. Elo Ratings

Top 10 differences for countries with a better Elo Rating:

Team - FIFA Ranking - Elo Rating - Difference

South Sudan	200	131	69
Syria	147	82	65
Fiji	167	120	47
Mauritania	206	163	43
China PR	88	49	39
Thailand	152	113	39
Finland	91	58	33
New Zealand	93	60	33
Eritrea	192	159	33
Papua New Guinea	195	162	33

FIFA Ranking: December 2012 probable ranking (II)

Next update: 23 November 2012. 

FIFA will publish the ranking on 19 December.


Probable results computed using the Elo Ratings. See the list of results used for this ranking.

No time for the preview today. Of the top 50 only Argentina, Brazil, Australia, Jamaica and Haiti still have matches to play.

Argentina can't move from 3rd, no matter what they do against Brazil, who could be ranked between 16th and 18th depending on the result of the Superclásico de las Américas. A new worst ever ranking for Brazil.

FIFA Ranking: December 2012 probable results (II)

Here are the probable results used for the December 2012 probable ranking. They are generated using the Elo Ratings.

Before posting comments like: "Hey my team actually beat the other team! It's a mistake!" please read the previous paragraph again and look when these results were posted (Yes, before the matches actually took place!) ;)

1 - First team wins
X - Draw
2 - Second team wins

FIFA Ranking: December 2012 probable ranking

Next update: 16 November 2012. 

FIFA will publish the ranking on 19 December.

Probable results computed using the Elo Ratings. See the list of results used for this ranking. 

The 2012 CECAFA Cup draw is scheduled for 12 November, thus I couldn't generate the probable results for this competition.

Based on these probable results, Vietnam, Sao Tome e Principe, Cuba, Thailand, Trinidad and Tobago, and Jamaica would climb more than 15 spots, while Belize, Bermuda, Saudi Arabia, Chad, Lebanon, Afghanistan, Wales, Korea DPR, Curacao and Dominican Republic would drop more than 15 places.

FIFA Ranking: December 2012 probable results

Here are the probable results used for the December 2012 probable ranking. They are generated using the Elo Ratings.

Before posting comments like: "Hey my team actually beat the other team! It's a mistake!" please read the previous paragraph again and look when these results were posted (Yes, before the matches actually took place!) ;)

1 - First team wins
X - Draw
2 - Second team wins

FIFA Ranking: December 2012 preview

Next update: 16 November 2012. 

FIFA will publish the ranking on 19 December.

The 2012 CECAFA Cup draw is scheduled for 12 November, but I've computed the possible minimum and maximum values for the 11 FIFA members involved.

The top 3 will remain unchanged, while Colombia could climb as high as 4th. Even if they lose to Brazil, they won't drop from their current 8th spot.

FIFA Ranking: November 2012 differences

You might have noticed Uganda's and Zambia's points in the official November 2012 FIFA ranking were different from the ones in my November 2012 final preview.

As Ed already noticed, FIFA changed the PSO algorithm after I've sent them an e-mail. Uganda got the full 3 points, while Zambia got 0, instead of the previous method of calculation: 1 for Uganda, 2 for Zambia.

FIFA Ranking: November 2012 final preview

FIFA will publish the ranking on 7 November.

Just one match left: Vietnam - Malaysia, a friendly scheduled for tomorrow. This is how the points can change for these two teams:

Vietnam (W: 217, D: 207, L: 202, not included: 212)
Malaysia (W: 142, D: 132, L: 127, not included: 133)

In the table below I've used the minimum values.

On 9 October, the FIFA Disciplinary Committee has declared the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil™ qualifying match Sudan-Zambia of 2 June 2012 to be lost by forfeit by Sudan (0-3), but the result still appears as 2-0 win for Sudan. I wrote to FIFA - got no reply. I will use the 2 - 0 result.

FIFA Ranking: Penalty shoot-out matches

Uganda came close to eliminating Zambia (the AFCON title holder) in Kampala last month. The Zambians won the first leg 1 - 0, but Geofrey Massa's goal after 25 minutes had leveled the situation over the two legs. It finally came down to penalties and the Zambians prevailed 9 - 8.

Perhaps some you expect Uganda to make quite a leap in the November FIFA ranking after defeating a team ranked 41st in a qualifier? A quick calculation for this match: 3 * 2.5 * 0.86 * (200 - 41) = 1022.55 points and a total of 428 points overall, a jump of 4 places to 86th. Good news for Bobby Williamson and the Cranes. Well, not quite.

FIFA Ranking: Rules for friendly matches

On 25 October 2012, FIFA sent a circular letter (#1324 - FIFA-Coca-Cola Ranking) to all its members.

Following an analysis of the legal framework, as well as the implementation of the FIFA Regulations Governing International Matches, FIFA would like to clarify the criteria for a match to be included in the list of matches used to calculate the FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking.

FIFA Ranking: November 2012 preview (II)

Next update: 2 November 2012.

11 matches left before 3 November, the deadline I think FIFA will use. A couple of 2013 Gold Cup qualifiers in the Caribbean and a couple of friendlies in Vietnam.The results of these matches will not affect the top 90.

On 9 October, the FIFA Disciplinary Committee has declared the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil™ qualifying match Sudan-Zambia of 2 June 2012 to be lost by forfeit by Sudan (0-3), but the result still appears as 2-0 win for Sudan. However, for my calculations I have used the 0-3 result.

EURO 2016 qualifying draw seeding (19 October 2012)

Next update: November 2012.

The coefficients for the EURO 2016 qualifying draw will take into account results from:

2010 World Cup (qualifiers and final tournament) - 20% of total weighting
EURO 2012 (qualifiers and final tournament) - 40% of total weighting
2014 World Cup (qualifiers) - 40% of total weighting

Click here for more info on the coefficient system.

2014 FIFA World Cup seeding update (19 October 2012)

Next update: October 2012

Includes matches up to and including 17 October 2012.

See more info in the original 2014 FIFA World Cup seeding post.

Best teams to play against on 14 November

This is based on (FIFA points for a win) / (actual effort from Elo rating).

I ran 10000 simulations using the Elo Ratings for the matches still to be played before the November 2012 FIFA ranking deadline.


I took into account only teams that would bring at least 200 points for an OFC opponent.

Of the top 20 best teams to play against only 8 are still available for the 14 November FIFA match date.

I'm not 100% (thus I can't take the credit for it), but one of teams is no longer available because of a list of ideal opponents I sent to certain FA.

2013 African Cup of Nations qualifying simulations

10000 simulations using the Elo Ratings.

Chances of qualification:

98.03% - Congo DR
97.75% - Mali
95.32% - Nigeria
95.20% - Ghana
93.63% - Tunisia
93.00% - Côte d'Ivoire
91.32% - Guinea

October 2012: FIFA Ranking vs. Elo Ratings

Top 10 differences for countries with a better Elo Rating:

Team - FIFA Ranking - Elo Rating - Difference

Syria	150	82	68
South Sudan	198	132	66
Fiji	167	117	50
Mauritania	205	164	41
China PR	85	48	37
Finland	88	53	35
Latvia	118	83	35
Moldova	145	112	33
Indonesia	170	140	30
Papua New Guinea	193	163	30

FIFA Ranking: November 2012 probable ranking

Next update: 19 October 2012.

FIFA will publish the ranking on 7 November.

Probable results computed using the Elo Ratings. See the list of results used for this ranking.

Based on these probable results we could see Myanmar climb 36 spots, with Finland, Guyana, Albania, St. Kitts and Nevis, Cambodia, Laos, Belarus and Congo DR climbing more than 15.


Wales would tumble 32 spots to 89th. while Cyprus, Congo, Armenia and Grenada would drop at least 14 places.


In the top 50, Montenegro, Republic of Ireland  and Venezuela would drop 7 or more spots, while Serbia, Turkey, USA, Ukraine and Jamaica would climb 7 or more spots.

FIFA Ranking: November 2012 probable results

Here are the probable results used for the November 2012 probable ranking. They are generated using the Elo Ratings.

Before posting comments like: "Hey my team actually beat the other team! It's a mistake!" please read the previous paragraph again and look when these results were posted (Yes, before the matches actually took place!) ;)

1 - First team wins
X - Draw
2 - Second team wins

FIFA Ranking: November 2012 preview

Next update: 19 October 2012.

FIFA will publish the ranking on 7 November.

Two second round groups of the Caribbean Championship qualifiers will also take place in October, but I don't have the exact dates. However, they are scheduled after 19 October (my next update).

Spain still safe in first place. Even if they lose to Belarus and France, Germany would still be three points behind them even with wins against the Republic of Ireland and Sweden.

Thailand will fall to its worst ever raking, dropping to at least 144th - at worst 155th. Their previous worst ever ranking was 141st in April 2012.

FIFA Ranking: October 2012 final preview

FIFA will publish the ranking on 3 October.

Lost of movement in the top 10 - only Spain and Germany keep their places. Colombia and Greece replace Croatia and Denmark in the top 10. England slip to 5th. Portugal up to 3rd.

Colombia return to the top 10 after 10 years - they were 9th in July 2002 and they will be 9th in October.

Central African Republic break into the top 50 for the first time ever. They were 202nd in August 2010.

Montserrat leave the bottom of the ranking in style, after defeating British Virgin Islands 7 - 0. They will climb at least 25 places.

The Irish press and FIFA ranking

In my August 2012 preview, posted on 20 July 2012, there was a list of games removed from FIFA's list of "A" matches. Among them, a 0 - 0 draw between Hungary and the Republic of Ireland, played on 4 June 2012.

Last week I received an e-mail from Irish reader who wanted to know about the impact this removal would have on Ireland's FIFA ranking. Apparently, a reporter from the Irish Daily Star discovered two months later that this friendly had disappeared from FIFA.com.

Enjoy these fine pieces of journalism, well documented of course, about the FIFA ranking and the seeding for the FIFA World Cup final tournament.

EURO 2016 qualifying draw seeding (21 September 2012)

Next update: October 2012.

Updated to include missing 11 September matches. Thanks Ed!

The coefficients for the EURO 2016 qualifying draw will take into account results from:

2010 World Cup (qualifiers and final tournament) - 20% of total weighting
EURO 2012 (qualifiers and final tournament) - 40% of total weighting
2014 World Cup (qualifiers) - 40% of total weighting

Click here for more info on the coefficient system.

2014 FIFA World Cup seeding update (21 September 2012)

Next update: October 2012

Includes matches up to and including 20 September 2012.

See more info in the original 2014 FIFA World Cup seeding post.

2015 UEFA European Under-21 Championship qualifying seeding (21 September 2012)

Next update: 19 October 2012.

As soon as the 2013 play-offs conclude we'll have the final coefficients for the 2015 qualifying round draw. The 2013 qualifying round draw took place on 3 February 2011, so I think the draw for the 2015 preliminaries will take place in late January / early February 2013.

Going by the 2013 procedure, there will be 4 pots of 10 teams and one of 12 teams.

2016 UEFA European Under-21 Championship - possible format

Yes, 2016, not 2015. The 2015 edition will be hosted by the Czech Republic (more on this in my next post).

The 2015 edition will be the last U21 tournament before the competition reverts to even numbered years the following summer.

UEFA moved the tournament to odd years starting from 2007 "to allow it to step out of the shadow of the UEFA European Football Championship and the FIFA World Cup.". It seems being in the shadow is just fine :)

2013 UEFA Under-21 final draw seeding (21 September 2012)

The final draw will take place on 28 November.

These are the play-off matches to be played on 12 and 16 October.

Spain (holders) v Denmark
Italy v Sweden
Czech Republic v Russia
Slovakia v Netherlands
Germany v Switzerland
England v Serbia
France v Norway

I'm not Dutch, really!

I'm not Dutch, really!

I've seen two articles in the Norwegian and Icelandic press mentioning the "the experts from football-rankings.info in the Netherlands" and "Dutch football statistics site football-rankings.info".

I'm pleased they did mention the source of their information (unlike the Scottish Daily Record - they keep forgetting), but there are two problems.

FIFA Ranking: October 2012 preview (II)

Next update: 28 September 2012.

FIFA will publish the ranking on 3 October.

FIFA have removed the deadline information - it used to be on Thursday before the release of the rankings. I will still use it for this month, then I will most likely move the deadline for the calculation to Saturday.

15 matches left - only one of them involving team in the top 100: Brazil vs. Argentina on 19 September. Couple of friendlies and continental qualifiers. 15 teams involved in these matches and this an overview of minimum/maximum points and highest/lowest ranking possible for them:

2013 African Cup of Nations: Seeding for the final draw (7 September 2012)

An update of the February 2012 post.

The last three tournaments count towards the ranking (ACN 2006, ACN 2008, ACN 2010).

Points are awarded in this fashion:

7 - winner
5 - finalist
3 - semifinalists
2 - quarterfinalists
1 - teams eliminated in the group stage

Points from the most recent tournament are multiplied by 3, the next one by 2, the last one by 1.

Victor Piturca playing the blame game

Romania returned in September to their worst ever ranking - 57th.

This is what Victor Piturca, the national team manager, had to say about it:

"We're below Estonia because of the matches played two years ago, when I wasn't in charge. Lately, the national team gained points and it will keep on climbing. Since I've returned as manager, we have only lost to Belgium and Slovenia. The numbers prove this."

That's wrong (and I'm not a fan of Razvan Lucescu - the previous manager).

Confusion in Indian football (II)

Different manager, same lack of knowledge about the rankings.

India's chief football coach Wim Koevarmans said that India must play on dates designated by world body FIFA for friendlies if they want to go up in international rankings.

That's sort of an urban myth. Plenty of teams play friendlies outside of the designated FIFA dates and their matches still count for the ranking calculation.

FIFA Ranking: October 2012 probable ranking

Next update: Sometime next week.

FIFA will publish the ranking on 3 October.

Probable results computed using the Elo Ratings. See the list of results used for this ranking.

Based on these probable results we could see Barbados jump 40 or more spots, Northern Ireland and Cyprus 30 or more, Bulgaria and Israel 20 or more, while Luxembourg could drop more than 40 places, with Iceland dropping around 26 places.

In the top 50, Scotland, Norway and Panama could jump 10 or more places, while Hungary, Ukraine and Algeria could do the opposite.

FIFA Ranking: October 2012 probable results

Here are the probable results used for the October 2012 probable ranking. They are generated using the Elo Ratings.

Before posting comments like: "Hey my team actually beat the other team! It's a mistake!" please read the previous paragraph again and look when these results were posted (Yes, before the matches actually took place!) ;)

1 - First team wins
X - Draw
2 - Second team wins

FIFA Ranking: October 2012 preview

Next update: Sometime next week.

Includes matches up to 6 September.

FIFA will publish the ranking on 3 October.

England's 3rd place adventure will most likely end - even if they win both their matches (against Moldova and Ukraine). Uruguay, Argentina and Portugal could all reach a higher total, dropping England to a probable 6th place.

Most points dropped (best case scenario):

-39 - Congo
-38 - Thailand
-35 - St. Vincent and the Grenadines
-31 - Italy
-30 - Qatar
-30 - St. Kitts and Nevis
-25 - Fiji
-24 - Chad
-21 - Madagascar
-18 - Korea DPR

September 2012: FIFA Ranking vs. Elo Ratings

Top 10 differences for countries with a better Elo Rating:

Team - FIFA Ranking - Elo Rating - Difference 

South Sudan	197	128	69
Syria	148	86	62
Mauritania	204	164	40
Finland	96	58	38
Cyprus	135	98	37
Bulgaria	89	53	36
Moldova	141	107	34
Cuba	147	114	33
Fiji	155	122	33
Indonesia	168	138	30

FIFA Ranking: September 2012 preview (II)

Next update: 31 August 2012.

FIFA will publish the ranking on 5 September.

The official deadline for matches is 30 August, thus the India - Cameroon match (31 August) shouldn't be included. However, FIFA do have the habit of moving the deadline - no later than Sunday though.

Ten matches left - all friendlies. Jamaica - Kenya and nine Nehru Cup matches.

August 2012: FIFA Ranking vs. Elo Ratings

Top 10 differences for countries with a better Elo Rating:

Team - FIFA Ranking - Elo Rating - Difference

Syria	147	67	80
South Sudan	199	128	71
Bulgaria	94	53	41
Mauritania	203	164	39
Cuba	149	113	36
New Caledonia	141	106	35
Israel	82	48	34
Fiji	155	122	33
Moldova	137	108	29
Kyrgyzstan	196	167	29

FIFA Women's Ranking: August 2012 final preview

FIFA will publish the ranking on 17 August 2012.

FIFA have confirmed by e-mail Great Britain matches won't be included.

Best movers:

5 - Wales and South Africa
2 - Iceland, New Zealand, Austria, Hong Kong, Zimbabwe and Ethiopia


Worst movers:

-4 - Hungary
-3 - Korea DPR and Slovakia
-2 - Sweden, Republic of Ireland and Uruguay

FIFA Ranking: September 2012 probable ranking

Next update: 17 August 2012.

FIFA will publish the ranking on 5 September 2012.

Probable results computed using the Elo Ratings. See the list of results used for this ranking. Also check the preview for minimum and maximum points for each team.

FIFA Ranking: September 2012 probable results

Here are the probable results used for the September 2012 probable ranking. They are generated using the Elo Ratings.

Before posting comments like: "Hey my team actually beat the other team! It's a mistake!" please read the previous paragraph again and look when these results were posted (Yes, before the matches actually took place!) ;)

I used the official deadline for matches: 30 August 2012. 

FIFA Ranking: September 2012 preview

Next update: 17 August 2012.

FIFA will publish the ranking on 5 September 2012.

Four teams will improve their best ever ranking:

Mali will be at least 34th (previous best 35th - February 2007).
Central African Republic will be at least 68th (previous best 71 - August 2012).
Dominican Republic will be at least 105th (previous best 116 - May 1996).
American Samoa will be at least 174th (previous best 182 - August 2012).

Nehru Cup - Could AIFF have invited better teams?

The AIFF (All India Football Federation) have invited 4 teams for the 2012 Nehru Cup: Cameroon (rank 59), Syria (147), Maldives (161) and Nepal (162). India (ranked 168) would get 363.78 points for a win against Cameroon, 136.74 for Syria and 129 for winning against Maldives or Nepal.

FIFA Ranking: Teams in need of matches for the August 2012 ranking

There are 29 teams that will not have the required 5 matches in the last 12 months when the August 2012 FIFA Ranking will be released. For these teams, FIFA will basically add a number of "virtual defeats" equal to the difference between the number of matches actually played by that team in the last 12 months and the required 5 matches.

Only Vietnam and Syria will be in the top 150.

FIFA Women's Ranking: Great Britain = England?

Have you noticed the women's fixtures and results for England on FIFA.com?

Quite interesting.

Here's the current top 30 (as of 3 August - before the Olympic tournament quarter finals) - without the Great Britain matches.

Match fixing spam

In the past week I've received two messages related to match fixing.

29 July

Hello

My name is Richard, from sweden. I know something about fixed games from first hand (i know guy who buying that informations). I can divide it with you, it's always 100% sure tips with odds 4-8, sometimes higher. Email me if you're interested :l***richard@gmail.com

2018 FIFA World Cup: 3 years left until the preliminary draw

Next update: July/August 2013.

Assumption: same formats and schedule as for the 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.

Going the 2014 schedule, the 2018 FIFA World Cup preliminary draw will take place around 1 August 2015 and the FIFA ranking used to seed the teams from AFC, CAF and UEFA will be the July 2015 edition, while for the CONCACAF teams the March 2015 ranking will be used.

This means we already have 10% of the final formula (even more for CONCACAF teams), as the 0.2 time frame will close in a couple of days.

Mistake in the English FA work permit FIFA ranking averages

Last week I wrote about the UK work permit and a comment (I did say I have some very knowledgeable readers) made me realize a mistake I've made in my research - and this helped me find a mistake in the ranking produced by the English FA.

First of all, the English FA doesn't use the average FIFA ranking, but the ranking of the averages :)

FIFA Ranking: August 2012 final preview

FIFA will publish the ranking on 8 August.


Only one match left: Guam - Macau.

This is how the points can change for these two teams:

Guam (L: 28, D: 35, W: 50)
Macau (L: 13, D: 22, W: 39)

Premier league work permit - non-EU ranking

I've heard a lot of people talking about the the work permit rules.

I took a look at the average rankings for this transfer window, the number of competitive matches in the last two years and the number of players each country had in the English Premier League last season - non-EU (European Union) countries only.

FIFA Women's Ranking: August 2012 preview

Next update: 10 August 2012 

FIFA will publish the ranking on 17 August.

Only 15 teams can still change their totals (11 of them will be at the Olympics).

The current rank shown in the next two tables is the current rank as of today - see the third table. That's why Brazil are 4th and not 5th as in the June ranking.

FIFA Ranking: Mano Menezes hoping against hope

Hoping against mathematics actually. Really, someone at CBF should take a look at the ranking procedure and explain it to Mr. Menezes, otherwise he's in for a surprise in the following months.

When asked last week about Brazil's fall out of the top 10, Mr. Menezes replied:

July 2012: FIFA Ranking vs. Elo Ratings

Top 10 differences for countries with a better Elo Rating:

Team - FIFA Ranking - Elo Rating - Difference

Syria	132	66	66
Solomon Islands	174	131	43
Mauritania	202	162	40
Bulgaria	92	53	39
Fiji	161	122	39
New Caledonia	143	106	37
Cuba	150	113	37
Israel	82	48	34
Moldova	139	108	31
Eritrea	189	158	31

EURO 2012: Castrol Index Bottom 11

During the 2010 World Cup, I posted this after looking at the Castrol Index ranking and the heat maps.

Unfortunately, there were no heat maps for EURO 2012, but here's the bottom 11 (even if some players might be out of position):

FIFA Ranking: August 2012 preview

Next update: 3 August 2012.

FIFA will publish the ranking on 8 August.

Only 3 matches left, all friendlies: South Sudan - Uganda, Guam - Macau and Jamaica - Liberia.

EURO 2016 qualifying draw seeding (6 July 2012)

Next update: 21 September 2012.

The coefficients for the EURO 2016 qualifying draw will take into account results from:

2010 World Cup (qualifiers and final tournament) - 20% of total weighting
EURO 2012 (qualifiers and final tournament) - 40% of total weighting
2014 World Cup (qualifiers) - 40% of total weighting

Click here for more info on the coefficient system.

2014 FIFA World Cup seeding update (6 July 2012)

Next update: 21 September 2012

Include matches up to and including July 1st 2012.

See more info in the original 2014 FIFA World Cup seeding post.

FIFA Ranking: July 2012 final preview

FIFA will publish the ranking on 4 July.

Four matches left:

29/06 Yemen - Morocco (Friendly)
30/06 Central African Republic - Egypt (Continental Qualifier)
30/06 Sudan - Iraq (Friendly)
01/07 Spain - Italy (Continental Final)

FIFA Ranking: Brazil out of the top 10

Only two countries have to go way back to the first edition of the FIFA Ranking (August 1993) to see their worst ever ranking: Brazil (8th) and South Africa (109th).

From 4 July it will be easier for officials at CBF to find their worst ever ranking, as Brazil will drop to at least 11th.

FIFA Ranking: July 2012 probable ranking (II)

Next update: 29 June 2012.

FIFA will publish the ranking on 4 July 2012.

Probable results computed using the Elo Ratings. See the list of results used for this ranking.

Only 18 matches left. 7 EURO 2012 knock-out stage matches, one 2013 AFCON qualifier and 10 friendlies (9 of them in the Arab Nations Cup). 21 teams are involved in these matches. For the other 187 teams the totals are already final. Also check the preview to see how the totals can vary for these 21 teams.

FIFA Ranking: July 2012 probable results (II)

Here are the probable results used for the July 2012 probable ranking. They are generated using the Elo Ratings.

Before posting comments like: "Hey my team actually beat the other team! It's a mistake!" please read the previous paragraph again and look when these results were posted (Yes, before the matches actually took place!) ;)

1 - First team wins
X - Draw
2 - Second team wins

FIFA Ranking: July 2012 preview (II)

Next update: 29 June 2012.

FIFA will publish the ranking on 4 July 2012.

All OFC Nations Cup matches currently being played in the Solomon Islands will be reflected in the ranking in July (see FIFA.com).

EURO 2016: Expansion to 24 teams 'not ideal'

An old article pointed out by Lusankya. Will post the most important part just in case it disappears from The Independent.

FIFA Ranking: July 2012 quick peek

The full update will be posted on Wednesday, at the end of the EURO 2012 group stage.

Uruguay's time as 2nd in the world will end, as Germany will have at least 1318 points, while La Celeste will only have 1297.

2013 UEFA Under-21 play-off seeding (15 June 2012)

Next update: 21 September 2012.

The coefficients for the 2013 UEFA European Under-21 Championship playoff draw will take into account results from:

2009 UEFA European Under-21 Championship (qualifiers and final tournament) - 20% of total weighting
2011 UEFA European Under-21 Championship (qualifiers and final tournament) - 40% of total weighting
2013 UEFA European Under-21 Championship (qualifiers) - 40% of total weighting

More info about the Under-21 coefficient on UEFA.com (PDF file).

June 2012: FIFA Ranking vs. Elo Ratings

Top 10 differences for countries with a better Elo Rating:

Team - FIFA Ranking - Elo Rating - Difference

Syria	126	63	63
Solomon Islands	183	120	63
Fiji	161	117	44
Vanuatu	171	130	41
Mauritania	203	162	41
Cuba	145	107	38
Bulgaria	90	53	37
New Caledonia	155	118	37
New Zealand	100	64	36
Tahiti	179	145	34

FIFA Ranking: How are Uruguay second?

That's the big question on Twitter it seems :)

Uruguay are second because they managed a draw against Venezuela and Germany lost against Switzerland. La Celeste will most likely leave the podium and drop to 5th in July.

FIFA Ranking: July 2012 probable ranking

Next update: 20 June 2012.

FIFA will publish the ranking on 4 July 2012.

Probable results computed using the Elo Ratings. See the list of results used for this ranking.

Based on these probable results:

Côte d'Ivoire will break into the top 10 for the first time ever.

Tahiti and New Caledonia will climb 20+ places, with Cameroon and Namibia climbing 15+ spots.

Faroe Islands, Vietnam and Libya will drop 20 or more places.

FIFA Ranking: July 2012 probable results

Here are the probable results used for the July 2012 probable ranking. They are generated using the Elo Ratings.

Before posting comments like: "Hey my team actually beat the other team! It's a mistake!" please read the previous paragraph again and look when these results were posted (Yes, before the matches actually took place!) ;)

The OFC Nations Cup matches are considered World Cup qualifiers by FIFA (more info).

1 - First team wins
X - Draw
2 - Second team wins

FIFA Ranking: July 2012 preview

Next update: 20 June 2012.

FIFA will publish the ranking on 4 July 2012.

All OFC Nations Cup matches currently being played in the Solomon Islands will be reflected in the ranking in July (see FIFA.com).

Tahiti will climb at least 28 places, Solomon Islands at least 8, Barbados and New Caledonia at least 7.

 Faroe Islands will drop at least 30 spots, Laos at least 18, Camboadi and Samoa at least 17.

2014 FIFA World Cup seeding update (8 June 2012)

By request.

Next update: 7 July 2012 or earlier if needed.

Include matches up to and including June 7th 2012.

See more info in the original 2014 FIFA World Cup seeding post.

This is the top 20 of the intermediate October 2013 FIFA ranking:

FIFA Ranking: June 2012 final preview

The 2012 June ranking will be published on 6 June. The official deadline for matches is 31 May. However, in the article connected to the May FIFA Ranking it says:

The June edition will undoubtedly bring more movement with it, as friendlies are played in Europe to warm up for UEFA EURO 2012 and another batch of 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil™ qualifiers influence the calculations. 

The first qualifiers will take place on 1 June, after the official deadline, so for the June ranking I will use Sunday, 3 June 2012, as deadline for matches. Not sure if FIFA will do the same.

Uruguay up to 2nd, only 4 points ahead of  Germany. In the top 10, only Spain, Netherlands and Croatia didn't move.

South Sudan are giving FIFA headaches

I suspect the people in charge of FIFA's website are trying to add South Sudan to the list of associations. The flags are in disorder.

Go to the the Fixtures and Results section, then press more.

See Uzbekistan's flag - truly home of the brave, land of the free :)
USA have Uruguay's flag - will FIFA give them La Celeste's ranking, too?
Uruguay have Ukraine flag - will they compete at EURO 2012?

If everything looks fine, it means FIFA have fixed it already.

---

About me:

Christian, husband, father x 3, programmer, Romanian. Started the blog in March 2007. Quit in April 2018. You can find me on LinkedIn.

FIFA Ranking: Final June preview on Monday

I will post the final preview on Monday since the many matches scheduled for this week-end will affect the ranking, although they are played after the official Thursday deadline.

See explanation below:

The 2012 June ranking will be published on 6 June. The official deadline for matches is 31 May. However, in the article connected to the May FIFA Ranking it says:

The June edition will undoubtedly bring more movement with it, as friendlies are played in Europe to warm up for UEFA EURO 2012 and another batch of 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil™ qualifiers influence the calculations. 

The first qualifiers will take place on 1 June, after the official deadline, so for the June ranking I will use Sunday, 3 June 2012, as deadline for matches. Not sure if FIFA will do the same.

---

About me:

Christian, husband, father x 3, programmer, Romanian. Started the blog in March 2007. Quit in April 2018. You can find me on LinkedIn.

FIFA Women's Ranking: June 2012 final preview

FIFA will publish the ranking on June 1st.

I'm still waiting for an answer for FIFA regarding possible errors in the rankings, so bear this in mind while looking at the table below.

Only three matches left:

Slovakia - Korea DPR (Friendly)
Canada - China PR (Friendly)
Germany - Romania (Continental Qualifier)

This is how the points can change:

Order of fields: Team, Current points, followed by points lost/gained for 6 - 0, 1 - 0, 0 - 1 and 0 - 6 score lines.

Germany 2168 (0, -4, -25, -29)
Canada 1971 (3, 1,  -10, -12)
Korea DPR 1970 (2, 0, -10, -13)
China PR (12, 10, -1, -3)
Romania (29, 25, 4, 0)
Slovakia (13, 10, 0, -2)

Current ranking (as of 28 May 2012)

FIFA Women's ranking: Update postponed

I know I promised an update today, but since there are many matches that could affect the top 10 this week-end, I decided to postpone the update for Monday, 28 May 2012.

---

About me:

Christian, husband, father x 3, programmer, Romanian. Started the blog in March 2007. Quit in April 2018. You can find me on LinkedIn.

FIFA Ranking: June 2012 probable ranking (II)

Probable results computed using the Elo Ratings. See the list of results used for this ranking.

The 2012 June ranking will be published on 6 June. The official deadline for matches is 31 May. However, in the article connected to the May FIFA Ranking it says:

The June edition will undoubtedly bring more movement with it, as friendlies are played in Europe to warm up for UEFA EURO 2012 and another batch of 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil™ qualifiers influence the calculations. 

The first qualifiers will take place on 1 June, after the official deadline, so for the June ranking I will use Sunday, 3 June 2012, as deadline for matches. Not sure if FIFA will do the same.

FIFA Ranking: June 2012 probable results (II)

Here are the probable results used for the June 2012 probable ranking. They are generated using the Elo Ratings.

Before posting comments like: "Hey my team actually beat the other team! It's a mistake!" please read the previous paragraph again and look when these results were posted (Yes, before the matches actually took place!) ;)

The OFC Nations Cup matches are considered World Cup qualifiers by FIFA (more info).

FIFA Ranking: June 2012 preview (II)

The 2012 June ranking will be published on 6 June. The official deadline for matches is 31 May. However, in the article connected to the May FIFA Ranking it says:

The June edition will undoubtedly bring more movement with it, as friendlies are played in Europe to warm up for UEFA EURO 2012 and another batch of 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil™ qualifiers influence the calculations. 

The first qualifiers will take place on 1 June, after the official deadline, so for the June ranking I will use Sunday, 3 June 2012, as deadline for matches. Not sure if FIFA will do the same.

EURO 2012 simulations

10000 simulations using the Elo Ratings.

Most likely final:

14.41% - Netherlands vs. Spain
12.73% - Germany vs. Netherlands
11.65% - Germany vs. Spain
4.38% - England vs. Spain
3.17% - Italy vs. Spain
3.05% - Croatia vs. Spain
2.61% - Spain vs. Sweden
2.49% - England vs. Netherlands
2.16% - England vs. Germany
2.09% - Netherlands vs. Portugal

By team

Columns: Team - 4th in group, 3rd in group, out in QF, out in SF, losing finalists, winners

Team	G4	G3	LQF	LSF	LF	W
Croatia	23.47%	34.32%	23.62%	11.70%	4.56%	2.33%
Czech Republic	28.51%	26.61%	34.36%	7.34%	2.23%	0.95%
Denmark	57.17%	27.72%	7.03%	5.53%	1.74%	0.81%
England	14.99%	21.70%	33.72%	16.57%	7.67%	5.35%
France	33.69%	27.41%	24.66%	9.34%	3.19%	1.71%
Germany	7.06%	18.45%	15.50%	22.59%	16.57%	19.83%
Greece	29.02%	25.76%	35.63%	6.88%	2.05%	0.66%
Italy	25.03%	31.44%	23.65%	12.49%	4.84%	2.55%
Netherlands	5.00%	13.49%	14.98%	24.39%	18.60%	23.54%
Poland	22.84%	23.71%	40.39%	9.51%	2.79%	0.76%
Portugal	30.77%	40.34%	10.87%	10.69%	4.47%	2.86%
Republic of Ireland	49.82%	28.67%	13.91%	5.35%	1.49%	0.76%
Russia	19.63%	23.92%	41.24%	10.04%	3.59%	1.58%
Spain	1.68%	5.57%	20.69%	22.49%	17.85%	31.72%
Sweden	24.34%	25.53%	30.29%	12.20%	4.99%	2.65%
Ukraine	26.98%	25.36%	29.46%	12.89%	3.37%	1.94%

Champions:

31.72% - Spain
23.54% - Netherlands
19.83% - Germany
5.35% - England
2.86% - Portugal
2.65% - Sweden
2.55% - Italy
2.33% - Croatia
1.94% - Ukraine
1.71% - France
1.58% - Russia
0.95% - Czech Republic
0.81% - Denmark
0.76% - Republic of Ireland
0.76% - Poland
0.66% - Greece

Losing finalists:

18.60% - Netherlands
17.85% - Spain
16.57% - Germany
7.67% - England
4.99% - Sweden
4.84% - Italy
4.56% - Croatia
4.47% - Portugal
3.59% - Russia
3.37% - Ukraine
3.19% - France
2.79% - Poland
2.23% - Czech Republic
2.05% - Greece
1.74% - Denmark
1.49% - Republic of Ireland

Losing semifinalists:

24.39% - Netherlands
22.59% - Germany
22.49% - Spain
16.57% - England
12.89% - Ukraine
12.49% - Italy
12.20% - Sweden
11.70% - Croatia
10.69% - Portugal
10.04% - Russia
9.51% - Poland
9.34% - France
7.34% - Czech Republic
6.88% - Greece
5.53% - Denmark
5.35% - Republic of Ireland

Losing quarterfinalists:

41.24% - Russia
40.39% - Poland
35.63% - Greece
34.36% - Czech Republic
33.72% - England
30.29% - Sweden
29.46% - Ukraine
24.66% - France
23.65% - Italy
23.62% - Croatia
20.69% - Spain
15.50% - Germany
14.98% - Netherlands
13.91% - Republic of Ireland
10.87% - Portugal
7.03% - Denmark

Third in group:

40.34% - Portugal
34.32% - Croatia
31.44% - Italy
28.67% - Republic of Ireland
27.72% - Denmark
27.41% - France
26.61% - Czech Republic
25.76% - Greece
25.53% - Sweden
25.36% - Ukraine
23.92% - Russia
23.71% - Poland
21.70% - England
18.45% - Germany
13.49% - Netherlands
5.57% - Spain

Fourth in group:

57.17% - Denmark
49.82% - Republic of Ireland
33.69% - France
30.77% - Portugal
29.02% - Greece
28.51% - Czech Republic
26.98% - Ukraine
25.03% - Italy
24.34% - Sweden
23.47% - Croatia
22.84% - Poland
19.63% - Russia
14.99% - England
7.06% - Germany
5.00% - Netherlands
1.68% - Spain

Eliminated in the group stage:

84.89% - Denmark
78.49% - Republic of Ireland
71.11% - Portugal
61.10% - France
57.79% - Croatia
56.47% - Italy
55.12% - Czech Republic
54.78% - Greece
52.34% - Ukraine
49.87% - Sweden
46.55% - Poland
43.55% - Russia
36.69% - England
25.51% - Germany
18.49% - Netherlands
7.25% - Spain

---

About me:

Christian, husband, father x 3, programmer, Romanian. Started the blog in March 2007. Quit in April 2018. You can find me on LinkedIn.

May 2012: FIFA Ranking vs. Elo Ratings

Top 10 differences for countries with a better Elo Rating:

Team - FIFA Ranking - Elo Rating - Difference

Solomon Islands	183	120	63
Syria	126	64	62
New Zealand	130	68	62
Fiji	160	118	42
Vanuatu	172	130	42
Mauritania	201	159	42
Bulgaria	96	56	40
Cyprus	133	96	37
Moldova	142	106	36
New Caledonia	155	119	36

Top 10 differences for countries with a better FIFA Ranking:

Team - FIFA Ranking - Elo Rating - Difference

Sierra Leone	61	126	-65
São Tomé e Príncipe	116	170	-54
Algeria	38	87	-49
Luxembourg	119	163	-44
Libya	46	86	-40
St. Kitts and Nevis	111	150	-39
Samoa	156	192	-36
Vietnam	97	132	-35
Bermuda	107	142	-35
Antigua and Barbuda	100	134	-34

Top 50 nations only (in the top 50 in at least one of the rankings)

Top 10 differences for countries with a better Elo Rating:

Team - FIFA Ranking - Elo Rating - Difference

Egypt	57	30	27
Poland	65	38	27
Ukraine	50	27	23
Iran	52	32	20
Cameroon	64	44	20
Costa Rica	59	43	16
Nigeria	63	48	15
Ecuador	37	23	14
Korea Republic	31	21	10
Israel	58	48	10

Top 10 differences for countries with a better FIFA Ranking:

Team - FIFA Ranking - Elo Rating - Difference

Algeria	38	87	-49
Libya	46	86	-40
Armenia	47	80	-33
Slovakia	34	64	-30
Gabon	42	72	-30
Slovenia	28	53	-25
El Salvador	49	70	-21
Mali	39	58	-19
Ghana	22	37	-15
Bosnia-Herzegovina	27	41	-14

Matches I would have liked to see before the next ranking:

Egypt - Slovakia
Poland - Algeria
Ukraine - Slovenia
Iran - Armenia
Cameroon - Sierra Leone
Costa Rica - Estonia
Nigeria - Libya
Ecuador - Bosnia-Herzegovina
Korea Republic - Wales
Israel - Gabon

---

About me:

Christian, husband, father x 3, programmer, Romanian. Started the blog in March 2007. Quit in April 2018. You can find me on LinkedIn.

My first guest post on another blog

FilipinoFootball asked me to write something about Philippines' FIFA ranking.

Just to add something:

A list of ideal opponents for the month of May (based on Elo Ratings), that would bring the Philippines at least 200 points for a win:

Sao Tome e Principe
Luxembourg
St. Kitts and Nevis
Bermuda
Faroe Islands
Antigua and Barbuda
Vietnam
Liechtenstein
Liberia
Equatorial Guinea

Taking into account distance:

Vietnam
Luxembourg
Sao Tome e Principe
Faroe Islands
Liechtenstein
Chad
Bermuda
Equatorial Guinea
St. Kitts and Nevis
Liberia

---

About me:

Christian, husband, father x 3, programmer, Romanian. Started the blog in March 2007. Quit in April 2018. You can find me on LinkedIn.

AFC like 3D TVs

Two days ago I was surprised to see a tweet from the official Twitter account of the Asian Football Confederation. It's deleted now (too bad I didn't make a screen shot), but here it is:

"Why Do You Want to Excite Your Senses with LG Cinema 3D Smart TV?"

It also contained a link to an advertorial on galvintan.com.

Somebody at AFC must really like LG :)

---

About me:

Christian, husband, father x 3, programmer, Romanian. Started the blog in March 2007. Quit in April 2018. You can find me on LinkedIn.

FIFA Ranking: June 2012 probable ranking

Probable results computed using the Elo Ratings. See the list of results used for this ranking.

The 2012 June ranking will be published on 6 June. The official deadline for matches is 31 May. However, in the article connected to the May FIFA Ranking it says:

The June edition will undoubtedly bring more movement with it, as friendlies are played in Europe to warm up for UEFA EURO 2012 and another batch of 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil™ qualifiers influence the calculations. 

The first qualifiers will take place on 1 June, after the official deadline, so for the June ranking I will use Sunday, 3 June 2012, as deadline for matches. Not sure if FIFA will do the same.

Spain's top spot in danger. And the danger is coming from... Uruguay. La Celeste will certainly climb to 2nd with a win against Venezuela on home ground and at least a draw against Russia in Moscow, but in order to grab the top spot they need to defeat Russia and also Spain to lose their 3 friendlies (Serbia, Korea Republic and China).

Portugal will drop at least 1 spot, even if they win their friendlies against Macedonia and Turkey.


Probable June 2012 rank - Team - Probable June 2012 points - +/- Ranking - +/- Points

1	Spain	1456	0	14
2	Uruguay	1341	1	32
3	Germany	1338	-1	-7
4	Netherlands	1262	0	55
5	Brazil	1184	1	19
6	Argentina	1147	3	71
7	England	1101	0	-31
8	Portugal	1074	-3	-116
9	Croatia	1053	-1	-61
10	Chile	995	3	27
11	Greece	984	3	23
12	Denmark	982	-2	-87
13	Italy	976	-1	-65
14	Russia	961	-3	-88
15	Côte d'Ivoire	948	0	-3
16	France	934	0	-4
17	Sweden	910	0	-21
18	Republic of Ireland	907	0	16
19	Mexico	858	1	-9
20	Switzerland	853	-2	-38
21	Australia	837	0	-25
22	Paraguay	831	3	30
23	Japan	822	7	69
24	Ghana	818	-2	2
25	Czech Republic	816	1	18
26	Norway	806	-2	1
27	Colombia	802	-4	-10
28	USA	767	1	-12
29	Bosnia-Herzegovina	756	-2	-36
30	Algeria	734	8	67
31	Korea Republic	719	0	-27
32	Slovenia	716	-4	-65
33	Turkey	713	0	-7
34	Serbia	703	-2	-22
35	Ecuador	699	2	20
36	Peru	688	0	-3
37	Mali	682	2	26
38	Hungary	677	-3	-15
39	Zambia	662	1	22
40	Wales	658	1	23
41	Slovakia	649	-7	-67
42	Gabon	612	0	-9
43	Scotland	611	5	15
43	Ukraine	611	7	22
45	Belgium	593	-1	-11
46	Tunisia	591	10	28
47	Venezuela	586	-4	-27
48	Armenia	579	-1	-19
49	Libya	578	-3	-24
50	Iran	576	2	1
51	Egypt	571	6	12
52	Jamaica	568	-1	-8
53	Montenegro	562	2	-7
54	El Salvador	561	-5	-30
55	Morocco	551	5	3
55	Sierra Leone	551	6	9
57	South Africa	550	10	50
58	Panama	547	-6	-28
59	Estonia	534	-5	-40
60	Uzbekistan	530	10	37
61	Romania	526	-16	-77
62	Honduras	525	0	-15
63	Cameroon	518	1	-8
63	Poland	518	2	4
65	Cape Verde Islands	517	11	68
66	Costa Rica	505	-7	-44
67	Haiti	499	4	13
68	Belarus	497	1	3
68	Nigeria	497	-5	-40
70	Guinea	487	-2	-12
71	China PR	486	-5	-22
72	Senegal	484	5	36
73	Austria	474	0	-1
74	Iraq	473	-2	-3
75	Canada	457	0	7
76	Burkina Faso	450	4	24
77	Angola	447	1	7
78	Latvia	436	-4	-29
79	Israel	427	-21	-131
79	Trinidad and Tobago	427	3	8
81	Jordan	422	0	2
82	Finland	403	-3	-27
83	Albania	398	1	14
84	Lithuania	385	5	12
85	Qatar	384	-1	0
86	Kuwait	383	0	7
87	Congo	379	4	13
88	Korea DPR	374	-2	-2
89	Guatemala	372	-6	-24
90	Saudi Arabia	369	-1	-4
91	Bahrain	359	3	-2
91	Georgia	359	4	-1
93	Oman	358	-1	-5
94	New Zealand	357	36	101
95	Zimbabwe	355	9	27
96	Togo	343	-8	-31
96	Vietnam	343	1	-4
98	Uganda	341	-5	-21
99	Northern Ireland	336	1	-2
100	Chad	332	15	43
100	Guyana	332	-1	-9
102	Antigua and Barbuda	330	-2	-8
103	Malawi	328	-1	-4
104	Bermuda	318	3	0
105	FYR Macedonia	317	-7	-25
106	Bolivia	312	2	4
107	Azerbaijan	309	2	4
108	Kenya	303	9	18
109	Botswana	300	-3	-21
110	Bulgaria	299	-14	-55
111	St. Kitts and Nevis	298	0	0
112	Equatorial Guinea	297	-9	-33
113	Sudan	291	0	-1
114	Rwanda	288	-9	-39
114	Sao Tome e Principe	288	2	0
116	Central African Republic	285	7	14
117	United Arab Emirates	284	3	3
118	Mozambique	283	-8	-17
119	Liberia	280	-7	-16
120	Faroe Islands	279	-2	-5
121	Gambia	277	-8	-15
122	Luxembourg	270	-3	-13
123	Cyprus	266	10	14
124	Syria	263	2	-5
125	Benin	261	-1	-8
126	Suriname	255	7	3
127	Tajikistan	254	4	-1
128	Niger	250	-6	-24
129	Burundi	248	-2	-19
130	Dominican Republic	247	5	0
131	Congo DR	243	-7	-26
132	Namibia	239	-12	-42
133	Belize	236	7	1
134	Thailand	234	7	2
135	Iceland	231	-4	-24
136	Ethiopia	220	2	-16
137	Tanzania	217	8	0
137	Turkmenistan	217	7	-3
139	Nicaragua	216	7	5
140	Puerto Rico	214	-2	-22
141	Moldova	212	1	-10
142	Grenada	210	1	-11
143	Kazakhstan	209	-6	-34
144	Cuba	197	-8	-47
145	St. Vincent and the Grenadines	196	2	5
146	Lebanon	195	-17	-65
147	Liechtenstein	177	-19	-84
148	New Caledonia	176	7	26
149	Malta	172	1	11
150	Malaysia	164	3	11
150	Nepal	164	-1	0
152	Bangladesh	159	0	3
153	Indonesia	158	-2	-1
154	Philippines	152	-6	-20
155	Palestine	148	-1	-3
156	Singapore	146	2	1
157	Yemen	141	0	-7
158	Curacao	137	1	-1
159	Bahamas	132	2	0
160	Hong Kong	129	1	-3
161	Madagascar	128	5	7
162	Vanuatu	126	10	23
163	Fiji	125	-3	-8
164	India	121	0	-1
165	Aruba	120	2	0
166	Lesotho	116	-3	-15
167	Chinese Taipei	115	1	-2
168	Tahiti	113	11	27
169	Maldives	112	-5	-10
170	Afghanistan	111	0	-4
170	Guinea-Bissau	111	-1	-5
172	Samoa	106	-16	-43
173	Solomon Islands	97	10	22
174	Laos	96	-1	0
175	Dominica	95	-1	0
176	Tonga	88	1	0
177	Barbados	87	-6	-19
177	Myanmar	87	-2	-7
179	Cambodia	86	-4	-8
179	Mongolia	86	-2	-2
179	Swaziland	86	0	0
182	Pakistan	82	-1	2
183	US Virgin Islands	78	-1	0
184	Cayman Islands	72	1	0
185	American Samoa	61	1	0
185	Sri Lanka	61	-1	-13
187	Comoros	54	0	-6
188	St. Lucia	52	0	0
189	Seychelles	48	0	1
190	Eritrea	45	0	0
191	Somalia	43	0	0
192	Mauritius	37	0	0
193	Papua New Guinea	34	0	0
194	Guam	32	0	0
195	Cook Islands	28	1	0
196	Kyrgyzstan	24	-1	-5
197	Djibouti	23	0	0
198	Macau	14	0	-2
199	British Virgin Islands	13	0	0
200	Anguilla	9	0	0
201	Brunei Darussalam	5	0	1
202	Mauritania	4	-1	0
203	Bhutan	2	-2	-2
203	Timor-Leste	2	1	0
205	Andorra	0	0	0
205	Montserrat	0	0	0
205	San Marino	0	0	0
205	Turks and Caicos Islands	0	0	0

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About me:

Christian, husband, father x 3, programmer, Romanian. Started the blog in March 2007. Quit in April 2018. You can find me on LinkedIn.