FIFA World Rankings. It is a ranking system for men's national teams in association football, currently led by Brazil. The national teams of the member nations of FIFA, the governing body of world football, are ranked based on the results of their matches with the most successful teams being ranked highest. The ranking was introduced in December 1992, and eight teams (Argentina, Belgium, Brazil, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Spain) topped it, with Brazil spending the top spot. A points system is used, with points awarded based on the results of all full international matches recognized by FIFA.
The ranking system has been revamped on several occasions, generally in response to criticism that the previous method of calculation did not effectively reflect the relative strengths of the national teams. The current version of the rating system was first used on August 16, 2018, adapted from the Elo rating system used in Chess and Go.
History
In December 1992, FIFA published for the first time a list of its member association rankings for men to provide a basis for comparing the relative strengths of these teams. Since the following August, this list has been updated frequently, to be published most months. Significant changes were implemented in January 1999 and again in July 2006, in response to criticism of the system. Historical records of the arrangements, such as those listed on the FIFA website, reflect the calculation method used at the time, as the current method was not applied retroactively to classification prior to July 2006. FIFA's membership has expanded from 167 to 211 national associations since inception. Category. 210 members are currently included in the rating. The Cook Islands are the only unranked confederation in FIFA, having been removed from the rankings in September 2019 after not playing any matches in the previous four years.
Calculation method for the period 1993–1998
The ranking formula used from August 1993 through December 1998 was too simplistic and was quickly noticed for its lack of supporting factors. When rankings were initially introduced, a team was awarded one point for a draw or three points for winning matches recognized by FIFA, just like the traditional league scoring system. This was a very simple approach, however FIFA soon realized that there were many factors affecting international matches.
Calculation method for the period 1999–2006
In January 1999, FIFA introduced a revised system for calculating rankings, incorporating several changes in response to criticism of inadequate rankings. For the ranking, all matches, scores and importance were recorded and used in the calculation. Only men's national team matches are included. Separate ranking systems have been used for other representative national sides such as women's and junior teams, eg the FIFA Women's World Ranking. The women's rankings were, and still are, based on a procedure that is a simplified version of the soccer Elo ratings.
The main changes were as follows:
The points rating has been raised by a factor of ten
The method of calculation has been changed to take into account factors including:
The number of goals scored or conceded
Whether the match is played at home or away
The importance of the match or competition
regional power
A fixed number of points are no longer necessarily awarded for a victory or a draw
The losers of the match were able to earn points
Two new awards have been introduced as part of the system:
Elect of the year
The best teams advance in positions
The changes made the classification system more complex, but helped improve its accuracy by making it more comprehensive.
The Moroccan national team advanced 11 places in the new FIFA classification for teams after the 2022 World Cup, to become 11th.
This huge leap for the “Atlas Lions” team came after its results in the 2022 World Cup and its qualification for the first time in its history to the semi-finals.
Brazil remained in the lead despite its exit from the World Cup quarter-finals, while Argentina advanced to second place after winning the title and France moved to third place after finishing second in the tournament.
Japan is at the top of the rankings in Asia, while Senegal remains at the top of the rankings in Africa.
This is the ranking of the top ten:
1- Brazil national team
2- Argentina national team
3- France national team
4- Belgium national team
5- England national team
6- The Netherlands national team
7- Croatia national team
8- Italy national team
9- Portugal national team
10- Spain national team.