Another way of ranking the international top scorers

Normally you don't see anything in this blog about individual players, because they are not my main interest in NT-football. It's about the national teams for me. But recently there was a request from a long-time reader about the ranking of international top scorers, in combination with the strength of the opponents against which they scored their goals.

Especially since Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo, the ultimate professional and prolific football player, but also the world's biggest phoney when it comes to being a team player, is breaking records, this topic is apparently hot. He's the leading all-time international top scorer with 127 goals from 203 caps. 

FIFA ranking: October 2023 final preview

FIFA will publish this ranking next Thursday October 26th. This final preview contains 170 matches, out of 181 matches played since September 18th.

One team reaches a new highest rank:

Kosovo (105 - 106 in June 2022)

Two teams fall back to their lowest rank:

Grenada (176 in December 2007)

Liechtenstein (200 in July 2023)

2024 UEFA EURO qualification: 10.000 simulations (October 2023)

Last week the match days seven and eight of qualification for EURO 2024 have been played. See here for all the details of the qualification process and the simulation results before the groups started. See for previous simulation results: after MD2, after MD4 and after MD6.

FIFA ranking: October 2023 probable ranking

Here is the probable October 2023 ranking, to be published on Thursday October 26th. In the upcoming October window matches for the following tournaments will be played:

- the CONCACAF Nations League 2024 group stage continues with match days 3 and 4. In league A these are already the final group matches. Numbers 1 and 2 in both groups will continue to the new quarter finals in November against one of the four CONCACAF top seeds;

- match days 7 and 8 of qualification for EURO 2024;

- qualification for the World Cup 2026: match days 3 and 4 in the South American group and the first round home-and-away play-offs in Asia;

- lots of friendlies, most involving African and Asian teams, some also in tournaments like the Melanesian Cup and the Merdeka tournament in Malaysia.

- the postponed qualifier between Morocco and Liberia for the African Cup of Nations 2023. Morocco is already qualified. The draw for this tournament in January 2024 in Cote d'Ivoire will be staged on October 12th.

FIFA ranking: October 2023 probable results

Here are the probable results of all 154 played and currently scheduled matches up to and including October 22nd, used to calculate the October 2023 probable ranking. The results are generated using elo ratings. Also the already played matches since September 18th, (probably) counting for the October ranking, are presented.