FIFA World Rankings

The FIFA world ranking is a world ranking of national soccer teams, which is led by world governing body FIFA. It was first published in August 1993 for men and 2003 for women's national football teams football teams and will allow to determine periodically the strength of internationally active teams and to compare it to. It is often - partly also in addition to other criteria - used for the classification of teams in Lostöpfe.

So far made ​​it seven teams in the men, but only two teams in the women on the top spot and could therefore be considered in each case the best team in the world. Between 1993 and 1998 the world rankings of the men was not differentiated, so that several times two to four countries had the same score. The world number one had 57-73 points in this period.

Beginning of 1999 was the first change in the calculation basis, between 1999 and 2006 the world number one had 796-859 points. After the 2006 World Cup there was a further change in the basis of calculation, the values ​​for the world number one lie since 1442-1920 points.

• 2.1 Calculation
• 2.2 Example
• 2.3 Records
• 2.4 Differences to World Ranking of Men

• 5.1 Alternative Rankings

Ranking of Men

The following table shows the top 20 teams in the world rankings again. Furthermore, all German-speaking countries, the best in each confederation (bold), all former leaders of the World ranking (in italics), and the nations, the world champions were ever (*), and those that appear on the last place.

(As of March 13, 2014, next release on April 10, 2014)

Calculation

In the ranking official A-team games are taken into account only the last four years, as opposed to the previous method of calculation to ensure a better overview of the current strength since 2006. For these games, the average score achieved is calculated for each team. The ranking is normally updated once a month. During a World Cup finals tournament but usually eliminates the update in June.

The score for a game is calculated according to the following formula: [Note 1]

P = M × I × T × C

Where:

• M the score. M is: 3 for a win in regulation time or after extra time.
• 2 for a win on penalties.
• 1 for a draw or a defeat on penalties.
• 0 for a loss in the regular playing time or after extra time.

• I, the importance of the game. I is: 1.0 for friendlies.
• 2.5 for qualifying matches for the World Cup and continental championships.
• 3.0 of games continental finals (eg UEFA European Championship or FIFA Confederations Cup ).
• 4.0 Games for the World Cup finals ( group matches and knockout round).

• T is the strength of the opponent, which is calculated from its position in the rankings before the game begins: The factor is (200 - ranking position of the opponent ).
• If the opponent is ranked one of the results, the factor is set to 200.
• From position 150 all opponents get the minimum weighting factor of 50

• C is the average of the strengths of the continental federations of the two teams. The strengths in turn calculated from the last three World Cup finals and thus change every four years for a new world championship. Only games between teams from different confederations are taken into account and the minimum strength to 0.85. Since the 2010 World Cup this following values ​​apply: CONMEBOL: 1.00 ( previously 0.98)
• UEFA: 1.00
• CONCACAF: 0.88 ( previously 0.85)
• CAF: 0.86 ( previously 0.85)
• AFC: 0.86 ( previously 0.85)
• OFC: 0.85

From the results of the multiplication results of all matches of one national each of the points average over a 12 -month period will be formed, because the results are written down after every twelve months and are canceled after four years. To devaluation of the points average is multiplied by the following weighting factors:

Where an association has fewer than five games completed within such 12 -month period, it is assumed in the calculation of the average points won by five games.

The thus determined the weighted annual means are then added to the ranking score.

The maximum number of points that can win a team for a game that is 2400., You currently can be scored in a World Cup final defeat as South American or European team ( CONMEBOL and UEFA member ) a South American or European world number one.

The minimum number of points that will be awarded for a non- losing game, is 42.5 points. You, the participant receives a friendly match between two teams of Oceania (OFC ), if the game ends in a draw (and possibly lost a penalty shoot -find place ), unless the opposing team is ranked 150th of the ranking or worse.

Example:

Records

• The highest accuracy achieved so far was 1920 points. The Spanish national team reached this value on November 17, 2010.
• The longest time continuously alone at No. 1 stood Brazil: From April 9, 1997 to May 16, 2001, that is 1498 days. Overall, Brazil was from 21 July 1994 to 16 May, in 2001, 2491 days continuously at # 1, but had to share this from February 27 to April 9, 1997 with Germany.

Criticism

Already the June 2006 valid calculation method of ranking was disputed. Because of its complexity, its very long scoring period of eight years and other factors, there was strong come under criticism. Thus emerged among the top 10 teams at the country which, although dominated within their confederations, in intercontinental comparison, however, these services could not be confirmed (such as the USA). This review attempted to address with the new method of calculation described above, the FIFA, which was introduced after the 2006 World Cup. Furthermore, there are some oddities in the new system:

Point loss with victories

The importance of the various games will be considered not on the basis of normal weight, but the value of a game it is only multiplied by a factor I, and then taken the average of the games without having to be considered in this average the importance factor I. For example, since a friendly game thus brings only a maximum of 600 points, while bringing other games up to 2400 points, the score of a team which has a cut over 600 points, reduced by victories in friendlies. This so hurt victories in friendlies national teams which were successful at the World Cup or a European.

To illustrate, consider the following scenario: In June 2012, Germany stood at 1288 points. The individual used in order to score years have contributed the following points in figures: 555.23 (2012), 470.90 (2011), 128.35 (2010), 133.82 ( 2009). Played Germany now a friendly match against Austria (No. 58 in the same ranking), so it would receive for a win 3 × 1 × 142 × 1 = 426 points, so that the average for the year 2012 - and therefore the total number of points - would sink.

But even in major competitions may occur such situations: When the Confed Cup 2013 takes Tahiti ( place 138) and takes part, among other things against Spain. The Spanish results of the last twelve months had an average of 912.48 points, a win against Tahiti brings, despite the importance of the game more than 3 * 3 * ( 200-138 ) * ( 1.00 0.85 ) / 2 = 516, 15 points, thus reducing the Spanish score. Hypothetically, this could even happen in a World Cup, because the same game only at most 3 * 4 * 62 * 0.925 = 688.2 points to bring it.

Point gain by devaluation of the best results

As described in section calculation, the score of each national team is calculated as the sum of the average scores of four blocks of games. The first block contains the games of the past twelve months, he goes to 100 % in the score; the game, the second block contains the results of the twelve months before he goes to 50 %, etc. The excess of a game so this time limit ( ie is older than 12 months), so changes from one block to another. It may happen that the game is the section of the block with the older games can rise significantly stronger than the depreciation of a game would reduce the value. Consider the following example ( see, eg, Switzerland, the Czech Republic at the 2008 European Championships, Sweden at Euro 2012, and the clarity of the example simplified):

• Last 12 months: 5 wins in World Cup qualifying ( about 5 × 1500 pixels)
• Remains quite exactly 12 months: 1 victory at the European Championships ( about 1800 points)
• In the 12 months before: 2 defeats at the European Championships, 3 victories in friendlies (2 × 0, about 3 × 600 dots )

One victory at the European Championships is the best game that has completed the team. After 12 months, there will now be written down from 100% to 50%.

• Score before the devaluation:

• Score after the devaluation:

Due to the depreciation of the successful game, the score of the team has therefore increased by 70 points. However, it is to be observed in this model is that it had come by the defeats at the European Championships just before a short-term reduction of the previous year 's average.

No direct bonuses for successful qualification

There are no points for the successful qualification for a World Cup finals (or the final rounds ). In this way it happens that teams get less points due to qualifying for the World Cup (or EM) in the FIFA rankings as if they had missed out on qualification or as the teams against which they prevail in the qualification could ( for World Cup 2010 for example, Algeria against Egypt, North Korea against Saudi Arabia, Honduras against Costa Rica): for example, a team loses all finals matches, go three games with 0 points in the score, making the average decreases. Another team that has failed to qualify for the finals with the same number of points achieved, this reduction in the number of points, however, need not accept. At the same time a victory in the World Cup preliminary round is just as valuable as a victory in the World Cup ( semi-) finals, making a similar phenomenon also between those teams that do not survive the first round, and those who in the first K. -o. round retire, may occur.

Disadvantage of host countries

If the host of a major tournament in the years must unsubscribe any qualifying matches before the tournament, as it is directly qualified, this can cause it to crash in the world rankings without fault of their own. Thus Germany was the host of the 2006 World Cup in the aftermath of the 2004 European Cup - with the old method of calculation - ten places from 12th to 22nd position back. Worse fared under the new calculation system Austria (from number 60 to 101 ) and Switzerland ( from 13 to 48) before the European Championship 2008.

As the FIFA World Ranking forms the basis for the division of the national associations in seeding pots for the draw for the World Cup qualifying groups, this example, has the practical consequence that the hosts of EM end up in the draw for the qualification groups for the following World Cup in a lower setting pot and thus higher rated opponents expect.

Different influence of continental competitions

Results in finals of continental competitions are incorporated with high rating. Since continental competitions but held at different distances - the European football championship every four years, the African Cup of Nations every two years - it can now arrive at the following situation. Succeed in an African national team successfully defended the title Undefeated (this was for example in Egypt in 2006, 2008 and 2010, the case), go through the new Triumph several victories with weighting 1.0 in the standings. Furthermore, the weighted now with 0.3 victories of the old Championship are also counted. Overall, this is the continental competition with total weight of 1.3 in the standings, while the European champion is counted only once, even when successful Titelverteidung. Likewise have successful teams by the potentially higher number of incoming qualifying matches more heavily weighted games in the standings.

Another problem is that the continental competitions held in different years. This improves the lot of teams participating in a tournament in the published immediately after the event world rankings also to members of other associations, although no comparison between the associations has taken place.

Ranking of women

In 2003, FIFA introduced a world ranking for the national football teams of women to also allow for a comparison. The following table shows the top-10 ranked teams in the world rankings again. Furthermore, all German-speaking countries, the best in each confederation (bold), all former leader of the world rankings (in italics), and the nations, the world champions were ever (*), and those that appear on the last place.

(As of March 28, 2014, next release on June 20, 2014) Note: Ranked 123 rank 54 teams that were previously completed enough caps for a meaningful placement or have for more than 18 months not played.

Calculation

In the ranking of all women's international matches will be taken into account since 17 April 1971, when the first recognized by FIFA international match of the women was fought between France and the Netherlands. This is an expected result calculated from the values ​​of the two teams before the game and then compared with the actual result. If any team a better result than expected, so it wins points from the other team; intersects a team, however, worse than expected, it loses points on the other team.

The score for a team calculated using the following formula: [Note Women 1]

RAFT = RBEF K × ( MACT - MEXP )

Where:

• R_ values ​​in the ranking, namely RAFT 's own value in the ranking after the game (English Rating After the match).
• RBEF the own value in the ranking before the game (English Rating Before the match).

• K is the value of a game, this is the maximum score that can be transferred in this game between the two teams. K = 15 × I

• I the importance of the game (English Importance of the match ). I is: 4 games for the World Cup finals ( group matches and knockout round ) and games in the Olympics.
• 3 for qualifying matches for the World Cup and the Olympic Games and Games for the continental finals (eg UEFA European Football Championship ).
• 2 for qualifiers for continental championships and for friendly matches between top 10 teams.
• 1 for friendly matches [ where not both teams in the top 10 of the FIFA World Ranking of women ].

• MACT, the (actual ) Result (english Actual result of the match ) as a value between 0 and 1 MACT depends not only on who wins the game, but also by the goals scored. The value MACT for a defeat or a draw is on the accompanying table.
• The value MACT for a win is calculated as the remaining 100 percent difference between the value of the loser. A 5:8 defeat ( in the table in italics ) would therefore provide the value MACT = 0.08 for the loser and the value MACT = 0.92 for the winner.
• In general, the point gain of a team corresponds exactly to the point of loss of the other. An exception to this draw, as eg in a 0-0 - in which both teams are awarded the value MACT = 0.47 - do not add the values ​​to 100 percent, but only to 94 percent.

• MEXP the expected Result (English Expected Result of the Match ) as a value between 0 and 1 MEXP =
• X the difference between the rating values ​​of the two teams ( if necessary, corrected by the home Bonus H). x =

Example

A fictional example, as the significant favorite Inexistentien meets the World Cup quarter- finals on the team from Unobtanistan and loses:

In particular, note that the height of the dot gain of Unobtanistan is exactly the point of the loss of Inexistentien, namely 48 points. It is therefore sufficient for the calculation to calculate the change for a team - and then transfer them to the other. Only in a draw, this simplification is not possible, since awarded or deducted extra points ( see above).

Records

• The highest accuracy achieved so far was 2234 points. The German women's team reached this value on 21 December 2005.
• The longest time continuously at # 1: Since 21 March 2008, the U.S. is at # 1 ( 2207 days ).

Differences to World Ranking of Men

The calculation is significantly different from the rankings of the men. The main differences are:

• The world ranking of women is calculated using the concept of Elo rating, but being received the exact match result ( goal difference and goals scored ) in the evaluation of the actual outcome (ie, not only the values ​​1 for victory and 0 are used to defeat ). In contrast, the world ranking of the men is determined as the sum of weighted averages of factors rated by games.
• In the ranking of women all official women's international matches will be taken into account ( ie since 1971), in the ranking of the men, only those of the last four years.
• Current results are not explicitly ranked higher.
• The world ranking is published only quarterly. Normally, the list is updated in March, June, September and December. In years in which a World Cup is being held, the publication can move when the actual date falls during the season of the championship.
• The above examples on the criticisms against the method of calculating the ranking list of the men do not apply to the world ranking of women: Due to the different basis of calculation occur here no point losses due to high wins in friendly matches, point gains from devaluation of the best game or deprivation of the host countries of major tournaments.

Alternative Rankings

In addition to the FIFA world rankings, there are other lists that deal with the classification of the skill level of national teams. The oldest list of this kind is the Xocca World Ranking, which was published in 1981 and updated to May 2007 monthly. Another list is based on the Elo rating (see World Football Elo Ratings or web link).

An alternative interpretation of the statistics provide the Unofficial Football World Championships and the so-called Nasazzi rod. In this fictitious competitions, similar to in boxing, it is assumed that the reigning world champions lose the title with a defeat to the winner of the match.