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Saturday, February 15, 2020

FIFA ranking: February 2020 final preview

FIFA will publish the first ranking of this year next Thursday February 20th.

Not much happened last months: the friendly Bangabandhu Cup was played in Bangladesh and a few other friendlies were played. 

 Result of all the efforts of Canada and El Salvador is still a 12-point lead for El Salvador in the fight for the 6th CONCACAF-spot in the ranking. 
Biggest points-exchange (2.7 points) was in the final group match of the East Asian Championship between Korea Republic and Japan, won by Korea Republic with 1:0. With that they secured their third consecutive cup win in East Asia and fifth overall since the first edition of this bi-annual championship in 2003.


 To be complete, I've included the following matches in the February ranking:

 1 2019-12-18 CHN - HKG; We (FIFA): 72; pts-exchange: 1,392
1 2019-12-18 KOR - JPN; We (FIFA): 46; pts-exchange: 2,698
1 2020-01-07 CAN - BRB; We (FIFA): 77; pts-exchange: 1,132
1 2020-01-09 SWE - MDA; We (FIFA): 92; pts-exchange: 0,424
1 2020-01-10 CAN - BRB; We (FIFA): 78; pts-exchange: 1,124
1 2020-01-12 SWE - KOS; We (FIFA): 83; pts-exchange: 0,873
1 2020-01-15 BAN - PLE; We (FIFA): 25; pts-exchange: -1,260
1 2020-01-15 ISL - CAN; We (FIFA): 62; pts-exchange: 1,889
1 2020-01-16 BDI - MRI; We (FIFA): 58; pts-exchange: 2,114
1 2020-01-17 SRI - PLE; We (FIFA): 21; pts-exchange: -1,055
1 2020-01-18 BDI - SEY; We (FIFA): 67; pts-exchange: 1,658
1 2020-01-19 BAN - SRI; We (FIFA): 56; pts-exchange: 2,219
1 2020-01-19 ISL - SLV; We (FIFA): 61; pts-exchange: 1,936
1 2020-01-20 SEY - MRI; We (FIFA): 41; pts-exchange: 0,470
1 2020-01-22 PLE - SEY; We (FIFA): 78; pts-exchange: 1,085
1 2020-01-23 BDI - BAN; We (FIFA): 63; pts-exchange: 1,862
1 2020-01-25 PLE - BDI; We (FIFA): 64; pts-exchange: 1,809
1 2020-01-25 ERI - SDN; We (FIFA): 27; pts-exchange: -1,362
1 2020-02-01 USA - CRC; We (FIFA): 59; pts-exchange: 2,034


 Best movers:
3 - Palestine
2 - Burundi
1 - Ghana, Iraq, Aruba, Pakistan

Worst movers:
-2 - Hong Kong, Seychelles
-1 - Chile, Wales, Estonia, Trinidad and Tobago, Mozambique, Kenya, Nicaragua, Sri Lanka

 Best mover in the top-50:
1 - Ghana

 Worst movers in the top-50:
-1 - Chile, Wales

 Two teams will drop to a new low:
Seychelles (202 - 200 in July 2013)
Sri Lanka (206 - 205 in November 2019)



February 2020 rank - Team - February 2020 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 Sweden 1580,04 0 1,0
18 Chile 1579,38 -1 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 1541,95 0 2,0
23 Wales 1539,51 -1 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 1499,99 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 1467,38 0 3,0
40 Korea Republic 1464,05 0 3,0
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 1439,49 0 -3,0
46 Ghana 1439,19 1 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 0,0
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 Iraq 1343,81 1 0,0
69 El Salvador 1343,79 0 -2,0
71 United Arab Emirates 1334,45 0 0,0
71 South Africa 1334,10 0 0,0
73 Canada 1331,56 0 1,0
74 Guinea 1327,92 0 0,0
75 Bolivia 1324,05 0 0,0
76 China PR 1322,96 0 1,0
77 Uganda 1321,25 0 0,0
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 0 0,0
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 0 0,0
100 Mauritania 1223,14 0 0,0
101 Libya 1214,94 0 0,0
102 Armenia 1213,02 0 0,0
103 Palestine 1203,99 3 5,0
104 Estonia 1202,22 -1 0,0
105 Trinidad and Tobago 1200,72 -1 0,0
106 Mozambique 1199,97 -1 0,0
107 Kenya 1199,02 -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 1173,62 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 1112,97 0 1,0
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 1086,11 0 0,0
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 0 0,0
139 St. Kitts and Nevis 1073,86 0 0,0
141 Suriname 1073,39 0 0,0
141 Solomon Islands 1072,78 0 0,0
143 Hong Kong 1072,00 -2 -1,0
144 Yemen 1070,54 0 0,0
145 Equatorial Guinea 1066,36 0 0,0
146 Ethiopia 1061,01 0 0,0
147 Kuwait 1059,94 0 0,0
148 Botswana 1055,44 0 0,0
149 Burundi 1052,42 2 3,0
149 Afghanistan 1052,24 0 0,0
151 Nicaragua 1050,21 -1 0,0
152 Liberia 1047,45 0 0,0
153 Eswatini 1041,93 0 0,0
154 Malaysia 1040,02 0 0,0
155 Maldives 1038,31 0 0,0
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 1008,78 0 -2,0
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 964,94 0 -3,0
173 Indonesia 964,07 0 0,0
173 Cambodia 963,79 0 0,0
175 Moldova 958,37 0 -1,0
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 Djibouti 918,91 0 0,0
184 Dominica 918,70 0 0,0
187 Bangladesh 914,42 0 -1,0
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 879,13 0 0,0
199 Guam 872,83 0 0,0
200 Aruba 867,44 1 0,0
200 Pakistan 866,81 1 0,0
202 Seychelles 865,69 -2 -2,0
203 Tonga 861,81 0 0,0
203 Turks and Caicos Islands 861,56 0 0,0
205 Eritrea 854,20 0 -2,0
206 Sri Lanka 853,07 -1 -3,0
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

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.

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11 comments:

  1. EdFebruary 16, 2020 at 11:11 AM

    Funny, FIFA has discovered their omission and updated their publishing schedule of FIFA rankings for this year: they have inserted the missing June 2020 ranking, to be published June 11th, so just after the June International Match Window.
    This ranking will be used then to seed the draw for the CONCACAF qualifying groups for the WC 2022, as originally planned.

    ReplyDelete
  2. EdFebruary 16, 2020 at 11:37 AM

    Speaking of the June International Match Window: in the FIFA international match calendar 2020 it is indicated that for this window there are 2 official or friendly matches for non-UEFA confederations (with official rules regarding the release of players) but 2 match dates, apparently for all confederations.
    Does this imply that preparatory friendlies played by UEFA-teams in that period of June 1st to 9th will have an I-factor of only 5, instead of the normal 10? I don't expect that, but anybody any thoughts about this ?

    ReplyDelete
  3. AnonymousFebruary 20, 2020 at 4:27 PM

    Hi Ed, I'm sure you saw but the Iceland El Salvador game was indeed a "training match".

    ReplyDelete
  4. EdFebruary 20, 2020 at 10:34 PM

    El Salvador indeed 'escaped' from a loss of two points and saw Canada crawl only one point closer. They still have a healthy 14 points advantage.

    To be complete:

    FIFA excluded (and I included) for the February ranking:
    2020-01-09 Sweden - Moldova 1:0 (friendly in Doha, Qatar)
    2020-01-12 Sweden - Kosovo 1:0 (friendly in Doha, Qatar)
    2020-01-19 Iceland - El Salvador 1:0 (friendly in Los Angeles, USA)
    2020-01-25 Eritrea - Sudan 0:1 (friendly in Asmara, Eritrea)

    Then for two teams differences remained: Cote d'Ivoire (+2 in my ranking) and Zambia (-2 in my ranking). There was a friendly between the two on 2019-06-19 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, won 4:1 by Cote d'Ivoire. The points-exchange of this match was 2,209. The match was originally included, but I think FIFA recently decided to exclude this match after all.
    As a complete recalculation of altered match points for all affected matches between June 2019 and today still resulted in a one point difference for Cote d'Ivoire in the February ranking I assume that the points-exchange of the excluded match is simply discounted for in this month's rating of both teams.

    ReplyDelete
  5. AnonymousFebruary 21, 2020 at 2:21 AM

    Hi Ed
    If the Cote d'Ivoire-Zambia match back on 2019-06-19 was excluded wouldn't the ranking points have change on the last 11 opponents that Cote d'Ivoire played and the last 7 opponents that Zambia played? How does this all work out?

    Thanks

    ReplyDelete
  6. EdFebruary 21, 2020 at 10:39 AM

    Indeed that should be the logical procedure when a match is excluded afterwards. That's what I meant with 'complete recalculation of altered match points for all affected matches between June 2019 and today'. I made that recalculation, but still found as a result one difference: a one point difference for Cote d'Ivoire in the February 2020 ranking.
    That made me look for another solution: conform the procedure for an afterwards awarded match. We have seen an example of that procedure earlier. In that case the points exchange for the excluded match is applied on the current points-rating of both involved teams. So the 2,209 match points are subtracted for CIV and added for ZAM. In that solution all points rates in the published February ranking match with my calculations.
    If anybody has another solution, I will be glad to read about it here.

    ReplyDelete
  7. HomerFebruary 21, 2020 at 3:29 PM

    Côte d’Ivoire used 9 substitutes in the match in question so it is only logical it was removed from the ranking.

    ReplyDelete
  8. mickFebruary 26, 2020 at 1:13 AM

    Hi Ed! Do you know is there any official document from fifa source about all friendly matches? I cannot find it on fifa app but as i can see, some results are taken into consideration while some might not

    ReplyDelete
  9. EdFebruary 26, 2020 at 8:58 AM

    Hi Mick, not that I'm aware of. They used to maintain a list with all included matches (friendlies and competitive) on their website, but with the introduction of the new elo-based ranking calculation in June 2018 that list is removed. They claimed that 'all information needed' could be found on the new app they introduced simultaneously, but that claim is evidently (still) not true, now one and a half years after introduction.
    They started a list of friendlies on their app somewhere last Autumn (!), but that list was incomplete and badly maintained and, worse, it contained matches that were evidently not included in the calculation and vice versa. Also, not all competitive included matches are presented on their app. So to be short, not a reliable source at all.

    That's truly a shame. I really expect this to be a piece of 'core business' for a federation like FIFA. Anyway I have to make my own assumptions about which matches to include and correct those assumptions afterwards, based on the limited (because rounded) rating information a published ranking offers.

    ReplyDelete
  10. UnknownApril 25, 2020 at 7:05 PM

    Le Sénégal ma fierté nous sommes 1ère en Afrique et 20 ème mondial

    ReplyDelete
  11. UnknownApril 25, 2020 at 7:06 PM

    Le Sénégal ma fierté nous sommes 1ère en Afrique et 20 ème mondial

    ReplyDelete