FIFA Ranking: January 2014 probable ranking

Next update: 10 January 2014.

Probable results computed using the Elo Ratings.

21/Dec Qatar - Bahrain 1 (Friendly)
25/Dec Oman - Bahrain 1 (Friendly)
25/Dec Qatar - Palestine 1 (Friendly)
26/Dec Kuwait - Lebanon 1 (Friendly)
28/Dec Bahrain - Iraq X (Friendly)

FIFA Ranking: January 2014 preview

Next update: 10 January 2014.

Only the 2014 WAFF Championship and 2 pre-CHAN friendlies. I expect FIFA to include all 2014 CHAN matches in the February ranking (that would be the logical thing to do).

Most points gained (worst case scenario):

96 - Saudi Arabia
57 - Tunisia
53 - Egypt
41 - United Arab Emirates
31 - South Africa
28 - Cape Verde Islands
20 - Uzbekistan
19 - Ghana
17 - Panama
17 - El Salvador

World Cup draw: Seeding all the teams

Possible? Yes.

Complicated? Yes.

Pot 1: Brazil, Spain, Germany, Argentina, Colombia, Belgium, Uruguay, Switzerland
Pot 2: Netherlands, Italy, England, Chile, USA, Portugal, Greece, Bosnia-Herzegovina
Pot 3: Côte d'Ivoire, Croatia, Russia, France, Ecuador, Ghana, Mexico, Costa Rica
Pot 4: Algeria, Nigeria, Honduras, Japan, Iran, Korea Republic, Australia, Cameroon

Pot 1: draw all the seeds and assign them to groups

FIFA Ranking: Tweaking handling of wins

Should FIFA look into changing the handling of wins (friendly or competitive)?

As you might know, the Netherlands and Italy lost out on seeded status because they played (and won) against low ranked team. What will happen now? Will the fees required to play against top team rise because it could affect their ranking? Here's a possible solution: include result of wins in the calculation of the ranking only if it improves the average of the time frame that match belongs to.

FIFA Ranking: December 2013 final preview

Spain will again be Team of the Year (as it finished top of the pile).

Ukraine will be Mover of the Year (it gained 312 points). Armenia (259) and USA (237) will be 2nd and 3rd.

Burkina Faso will overtake Norway for the first time ever.
Jordan will overtake the Republic of Ireland for the first time ever.
Guam will overtake Maldives, Bangladesh and Nepal for the first time ever.

Philippines will overtake Korea DPR for the first time since March 2000.
Myanmar will overtake Korea DPR for the first time since July 2001.

UEFA EURO 2016 qualifying format officially confirmed

Not by UEFA, but by the Romanian FA.

Original article in Romanian. Main points below.

Assuming all 53 FAs will participate - there will be 8 groups of 6 teams and one of 5 teams.

The teams will be split in 6 pots according to the UEFA coefficient. This list doesn't appear in the FRF article, is based on my calculations.

2018 FIFA World Cup qualifying draw seeding for UEFA (6 December 2013)

Assumptions:

- UEFA will keep the current qualifying system
- FIFA will use the FIFA ranking to seed the teams
- UEFA will choose the July 2015 ranking for seeding

2018 FIFA World Cup qualifying draw seeding for CONCACAF (6 December 2013)

Assumptions:

- CONCACAF will keep the current qualifying system
- FIFA will use the FIFA ranking to seed the teams
- CONCACAF will choose the March 2015 ranking for seeding

2018 FIFA World Cup qualifying draw seeding for CAF (6 December 2013)

Assumptions:

- CAF will keep the current qualifying system
- FIFA will use the FIFA ranking to seed the teams
- CAF will choose the July 2015 ranking for seeding

2018 FIFA World Cup qualifying draw seeding for AFC (6 December 2013)

Next update: Spring 2013

Assumptions:

- AFC will keep the current qualifying system
- FIFA will use the FIFA ranking to seed the teams
- AFC will choose the July 2015 ranking for seeding