FIFA ranking: December 2019 final preview

FIFA will publish the last ranking of this year next Thursday December 19th.

The ranking publishing schedule for 2020 has not been presented yet, but seeing the complete lack of matches with any importance in the coming months unitl the next International Match Window in March, I would not be surprised if the next ranking would be the April 2020 ranking. We will see.

This December ranking will be used to seed the draw for the second round in World Cup qualifying for African teams, scheduled on January 21st.

Since the November ranking the Gulf Cup 2019 has been played and the CECAFA Cup 2019 and the East Asian Championship 2019 are started. These last two cups will be played to a finish the coming week. Peculiar, because the deadline for the ranking is tomorrow and thus the final matches of these cups will not count for the December ranking.
But as these matches are for ranking purposes considered as friendlies played outside a FIFA International Match Window, their I-factor is only 5 and all these matches deliver few points for the concerned teams.

To be complete, the following matches are included in the December ranking:

1 2019-11-26 QAT - IRQ; We (FIFA): 56; pts-exchange: -2,777
1 2019-11-26 UAE - YEM; We (FIFA): 74; pts-exchange: 1,324
1 2019-11-27 BHR - OMA; We (FIFA): 42; pts-exchange: 0,403
1 2019-11-27 KSA - KUW; We (FIFA): 75; pts-exchange: -3,771
1 2019-11-29 QAT - YEM; We (FIFA): 78; pts-exchange: 1,116
1 2019-11-29 UAE - IRQ; We (FIFA): 50; pts-exchange: -2,481
1 2019-11-30 KUW - OMA; We (FIFA): 28; pts-exchange: -1,421
1 2019-11-30 KSA - BHR; We (FIFA): 62; pts-exchange: 1,899
1 2019-12-02 IRQ - YEM; We (FIFA): 74; pts-exchange: -1,214
1 2019-12-02 QAT - UAE; We (FIFA): 56; pts-exchange: 2,214
1 2019-12-02 KUW - BHR; We (FIFA): 35; pts-exchange: -1,772
1 2019-12-02 KSA - OMA; We (FIFA): 54; pts-exchange: 2,288
1 2019-12-05 IRQ - BHR; We (FIFA): 62; pts-exchange: -0,587 (BHR 1,837)
1 2019-12-05 KSA - QAT; We (FIFA): 45; pts-exchange: 2,725
1 2019-12-07 DJI - SOM; We (FIFA): 54; pts-exchange: -0,190
1 2019-12-07 UGA - BDI; We (FIFA): 74; pts-exchange: 1,300
1 2019-12-08 KEN - TAN; We (FIFA): 61; pts-exchange: 1,967
1 2019-12-08 KSA - BHR; We (FIFA): 62; pts-exchange: -3,124
1 2019-12-09 BDI - ERI; We (FIFA): 68; pts-exchange: -3,380
1 2019-12-09 SOM - UGA; We (FIFA): 15; pts-exchange: -0,772
1 2019-12-10 SDN - KEN; We (FIFA): 42; pts-exchange: -2,075
1 2019-12-10 CHN - JPN; We (FIFA): 34; pts-exchange: -1,690
1 2019-12-11 BDI - DJI; We (FIFA): 62; pts-exchange: -3,089
1 2019-12-11 ERI - UGA; We (FIFA): 14; pts-exchange: -0,720
1 2019-12-11 KOR - HKG; We (FIFA): 81; pts-exchange: 0,934
1 2019-12-13 DJI - ERI; We (FIFA): 56; pts-exchange: -2,804
1 2019-12-13 SOM - BDI; We (FIFA): 35; pts-exchange: 3,254

Today and tomorrow the following matches will be played:


0 2019-12-14 KEN - ZAN
1 2019-12-14 SDN - TAN; We (FIFA): 52; W: 2,4/-2,4; D: -0,1/0,1; L: -2,6/2,6
1 2019-12-14 JPN - HKG; We (FIFA): 84; W: 0,8/-0,8; D: -1,7/1,7; L: -4,2/4,2
1 2019-12-15 ERI - SOM; We (FIFA): 48; W: 2,6/-2,6; D: 0,1/-0,1; L: -2,4/2,4
1 2019-12-15 UGA - DJI; We (FIFA): 83; W: 0,9/-0,9; D: -1,6/1,6; L: -4,1/4,1
1 2019-12-15 KOR - CHN; We (FIFA): 63; W: 1,9/-1,9; D: -0,6/0,6; L: -3,1/3,1

In the ranking table the elo predicted results of these matches are incorporated as follows:

0 2019-12-14 Kenya - Zanzibar; Friendly; We (elo): 59; X

1 2019-12-14 Sudan - Tanzania; Friendly; We (elo): 41; X

1 2019-12-14 Japan - Hong Kong; Friendly; We (elo): 96; 1

1 2019-12-15 Eritrea - Somalia; Friendly; We (elo): 76; 1

1 2019-12-15 Uganda - Djibouti; Friendly; We (elo): 98; 1

1 2019-12-15 Korea Republic - China PR; Friendly; We (elo): 91; 1

So in total 32 matches will count for this ranking. 

Best movers:
3 - Kenya
2 - Uganda, Eritrea

Worst movers:
-3 - Burundi
-2 - China PR, Hong Kong, Djibouti

Best (and only) mover in the top 50:
1 - Korea Republic

One team will drop to a new low:
Sri Lanka (206 - 205 in November 2019)

December 2019 rank - Team - December 2019 points - +/- Ranking - +/- Points

1	Belgium	1764,51	0	0,0
2	France	1732,57	0	0,0
3	Brazil	1711,76	0	0,0
4	England	1660,71	0	0,0
5	Uruguay	1645,24	0	0,0
6	Croatia	1642,06	0	0,0
7	Portugal	1639,14	0	0,0
8	Spain	1635,82	0	0,0
9	Argentina	1623,10	0	0,0
10	Colombia	1622,14	0	0,0
11	Mexico	1620,63	0	0,0
12	Switzerland	1608,27	0	0,0
13	Italy	1606,58	0	0,0
14	Netherlands	1604,18	0	0,0
15	Germany	1601,55	0	0,0
16	Denmark	1597,57	0	0,0
17	Chile	1579,38	0	0,0
17	Sweden	1578,74	0	0,0
19	Poland	1559,33	0	0,0
20	Senegal	1555,42	0	0,0
21	Peru	1543,83	0	0,0
22	USA	1539,91	0	0,0
22	Wales	1539,51	0	0,0
24	Ukraine	1537,18	0	0,0
25	Venezuela	1516,79	0	0,0
26	Austria	1506,73	0	0,0
27	Tunisia	1505,72	0	0,0
28	Japan	1502,69	0	3,0
29	Turkey	1493,93	0	0,0
29	Serbia	1493,67	0	0,0
31	Nigeria	1493,29	0	0,0
32	Slovakia	1489,85	0	0,0
33	Iran	1488,72	0	0,0
34	Republic of Ireland	1485,51	0	0,0
35	Algeria	1482,27	0	0,0
36	Northern Ireland	1475,75	0	0,0
37	Romania	1474,91	0	0,0
38	Russia	1470,03	0	0,0
39	Iceland	1463,56	0	0,0
40	Korea Republic	1461,35	1	2,0
40	Paraguay	1460,89	0	0,0
42	Australia	1457,49	0	0,0
43	Morocco	1455,83	0	0,0
44	Norway	1451,09	0	0,0
45	Czech Republic	1445,56	0	0,0
46	Costa Rica	1441,52	0	0,0
47	Ghana	1439,19	0	0,0
48	Jamaica	1437,39	0	0,0
49	Bosnia-Herzegovina	1429,66	0	0,0
50	Scotland	1421,92	0	0,0
51	Egypt	1420,28	0	0,0
52	Hungary	1416,31	0	0,0
53	Cameroon	1412,62	0	0,0
54	Greece	1409,41	0	0,0
55	Qatar	1396,13	0	-2,0
56	Mali	1388,70	0	0,0
56	Congo DR	1388,54	0	0,0
58	Finland	1386,24	0	0,0
59	Bulgaria	1381,26	0	0,0
59	Burkina Faso	1381,22	0	0,0
61	Cote d'Ivoire	1380,44	0	0,0
62	Honduras	1376,79	0	0,0
63	Ecuador	1368,41	0	0,0
64	Montenegro	1364,66	0	0,0
64	Slovenia	1364,53	0	0,0
66	Albania	1355,72	0	0,0
67	Saudi Arabia	1351,41	0	0,0
68	North Macedonia	1346,82	0	0,0
69	El Salvador	1345,73	0	0,0
70	Iraq	1343,81	0	4,0
71	United Arab Emirates	1334,45	0	-4,0
71	South Africa	1334,10	1	0,0
73	Canada	1331,20	0	0,0
74	Guinea	1327,92	0	0,0
75	Uganda	1324,91	2	4,0
76	Bolivia	1324,05	0	0,0
77	China PR	1321,57	-2	-3,0
78	Cape Verde Islands	1317,95	0	0,0
79	Syria	1314,07	0	0,0
80	Curacao	1312,96	0	0,0
81	Panama	1304,23	0	0,0
82	Oman	1302,89	-1	-1,0
83	Gabon	1296,79	0	0,0
84	Benin	1294,63	0	0,0
85	Uzbekistan	1288,87	0	0,0
86	Haiti	1284,80	0	0,0
87	Belarus	1280,42	0	0,0
88	Zambia	1277,02	0	0,0
89	Congo	1269,31	0	0,0
89	Lebanon	1268,55	0	0,0
91	Madagascar	1267,43	0	0,0
91	Georgia	1266,63	0	0,0
93	Israel	1260,18	0	0,0
94	Vietnam	1258,06	0	0,0
95	Cyprus	1250,66	0	0,0
96	Kyrgyzstan	1240,08	0	0,0
97	Jordan	1237,68	0	0,0
98	Luxembourg	1236,16	0	0,0
99	Bahrain	1224,66	1	6,0
100	Mauritania	1223,14	-1	0,0
101	Libya	1214,94	0	0,0
102	Armenia	1213,02	0	0,0
103	Kenya	1203,06	3	4,0
104	Estonia	1202,22	-1	0,0
105	Trinidad and Tobago	1200,72	-1	0,0
106	Mozambique	1199,97	-1	0,0
107	Palestine	1198,78	-1	0,0
108	India	1186,98	0	0,0
109	Central African Republic	1183,89	0	0,0
110	Faroe Islands	1180,56	0	0,0
111	Zimbabwe	1179,88	0	0,0
112	Niger	1178,98	0	0,0
113	Thailand	1178,07	0	0,0
114	Azerbaijan	1177,31	0	0,0
115	Kosovo	1174,49	0	0,0
116	Korea DPR	1169,96	0	0,0
117	Namibia	1159,93	0	0,0
118	Kazakhstan	1155,34	0	0,0
118	Sierra Leone	1155,15	0	0,0
118	Guinea-Bissau	1154,87	0	0,0
121	Tajikistan	1152,15	0	0,0
122	New Zealand	1149,43	0	0,0
123	Malawi	1140,60	0	0,0
124	Philippines	1135,94	0	0,0
124	Angola	1135,82	0	0,0
126	Antigua and Barbuda	1127,35	0	0,0
126	Togo	1127,21	0	0,0
128	Sudan	1109,41	0	-3,0
129	Turkmenistan	1106,51	0	0,0
130	Guatemala	1105,94	0	0,0
131	Rwanda	1089,25	0	0,0
131	Lithuania	1088,70	0	0,0
133	Comoros	1088,35	0	0,0
134	Tanzania	1084,27	0	-2,0
135	Andorra	1082,14	0	0,0
136	Myanmar	1081,26	0	0,0
137	Latvia	1078,52	0	0,0
138	Chinese Taipei	1078,48	0	0,0
139	Lesotho	1074,04	1	0,0
139	St. Kitts and Nevis	1073,86	1	0,0
141	Hong Kong	1073,39	-2	-2,0
141	Suriname	1073,39	1	0,0
141	Solomon Islands	1072,78	1	0,0
144	Yemen	1070,54	0	-1,0
145	Equatorial Guinea	1066,36	0	0,0
146	Ethiopia	1061,01	0	0,0
147	Kuwait	1059,94	0	1,0
148	Botswana	1055,44	0	0,0
149	Afghanistan	1052,24	0	0,0
150	Nicaragua	1050,21	0	0,0
151	Liberia	1047,45	1	0,0
152	Eswatini	1041,93	1	0,0
153	Malaysia	1040,02	1	0,0
154	Maldives	1038,31	1	0,0
154	Burundi	1037,57	-3	-11,0
156	New Caledonia	1035,12	0	0,0
157	Singapore	1020,27	0	0,0
158	Dominican Republic	1019,36	0	0,0
159	Gambia	1014,81	0	0,0
159	Grenada	1014,55	0	0,0
161	Tahiti	1014,27	0	0,0
162	Barbados	1011,04	0	0,0
163	Fiji	996,27	0	0,0
163	Vanuatu	995,62	0	0,0
165	Papua New Guinea	990,55	0	0,0
166	Guyana	988,40	0	0,0
167	St. Vincent and the Grenadines	985,75	0	0,0
168	Bermuda	984,02	0	0,0
169	South Sudan	983,43	0	0,0
170	Nepal	974,41	0	0,0
170	Belize	973,98	0	0,0
172	Mauritius	967,52	0	0,0
173	Indonesia	964,07	0	0,0
173	Cambodia	963,79	0	0,0
175	Moldova	958,79	0	0,0
176	St. Lucia	953,45	0	0,0
177	Chad	943,20	0	0,0
178	Puerto Rico	941,09	0	0,0
179	Cuba	935,97	0	0,0
180	Liechtenstein	926,06	0	0,0
181	Sao Tomé e Príncipe	922,54	0	0,0
182	Macau	922,10	0	0,0
183	Montserrat	920,53	0	0,0
184	Malta	919,19	0	0,0
184	Dominica	918,70	0	0,0
186	Djibouti	918,13	-2	-1,0
187	Bangladesh	915,32	0	0,0
188	Laos	912,07	0	0,0
189	Bhutan	910,96	0	0,0
190	Mongolia	906,34	0	0,0
191	Brunei Darussalam	903,90	0	0,0
192	American Samoa	900,27	0	0,0
193	Cayman Islands	896,65	0	0,0
194	Samoa	894,26	0	0,0
195	Bahamas	879,61	0	0,0
196	Timor-Leste	879,43	0	0,0
196	Gibraltar	879,24	0	0,0
196	Somalia	879,21	0	0,0
199	Guam	872,83	0	0,0
200	Seychelles	867,97	0	0,0
201	Aruba	867,44	0	0,0
201	Pakistan	866,81	0	0,0
203	Eritrea	863,63	2	8,0
204	Tonga	861,81	-1	0,0
204	Turks and Caicos Islands	861,56	-1	0,0
206	Sri Lanka	856,35	-1	0,0
207	US Virgin Islands	844,16	0	0,0
208	British Virgin Islands	841,73	0	0,0
209	San Marino	823,74	0	0,0
210	Anguilla	821,24	0	0,0

As it is the last ranking of the year a small overview of this years biggest ranking movements is appropriate:

top-10 biggest climbers in ranking positions:

Qatar	38
Algeria	32
Japan	22
Guatemala	19
Iraq	18
Haiti	17
Montserrat	17
Kosovo	16
Madagascar	15
Bahamas	15

top-10 biggest climbers in ranking points:

Qatar	138
Algeria	135
Japan	89
Mexico	81
Iraq	73
Italy	68
Haiti	66
Nigeria	66
Kosovo	61
Madagascar	58

top-10 biggest droppers in ranking positions:

Nicaragua	-21
Montenegro	-20
Bolivia	-17
Mauritius	-16
Burundi	-15
Bosnia-Herzegovina	-15
Chinese Taipei	-14
Aruba	-14
Indonesia	-14
Trinidad and Tobago	-13
Bulgaria	-13
Romania	-13

top-10 biggest droppers in ranking points:

Nicaragua	-69
Montenegro	-62
Trinidad and Tobago	-59
Faroe Islands	-57
Chinese Taipei	-56
Mauritius	-54
India	-53
Bolivia	-50
Aruba	-49
Burundi	-47

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About me:

Software engineer, happily unmarried and non-religious. You won't find me on Twitter or other so called social media. Dutchman, joined the blog in March 2018.