FIFA World Rankings...what a load of...

The new rankings are out!!! Yahhhh. Okay I realize I should write about the Champions League, but a)I had work so was not able to watch b)had I been able to watch I would have turned off the massacre in Milan...disgraceful...

But anyways, once again the FIFA world rankings are out...and Spain remains tops. But what always amuses me is how some nations seem to find themselves ranked. Uh England fifth? Really? Above Brazil and Italy? Really? Does anyone in their right mind really think England is the fifth best national side in the world? The other interesting fact, only two nations outside Europe in the top 10: Uruguay at #4 and Brazil at #7, Argentina is #11. The United States is down to #31, guess the Klinsmann experiment isn't going as expected...yet. Then again I heard rumors that Klinsmann might be called back to Europe to take over Tottenham if Redknapp heads off to manage England.

Once again the FIFA world ranks shows that they are about as important as the paper it would be printed on were we back in a paper news world!

FIFA world rankings...Les Bleus back in top 20, pop the champagne

Ah the comedy that is the FIFA world rankings, France scrap back into the top 20 - tied with the United States at #18! Thankfully Spain, the holders of the World Cup, remain top of the list. That at least gives some credibility for the rankings...I mean if the current World and European Cup holders are not the #1 team in the world, then these rankings are bunk. Oh wait they are bunk. What I find interesting is that Egypt, a nation that did not even make the World Cup remains the highest African nation on the list, ahead of Ghana who...went to the 1/4 finals of the World Cup! The top 20 -

1	Spain	1887	0		-33
2	Netherlands	1723	0		5
3	Germany	1485	1		-4
4	Brazil	1446	-1		-47
5	Argentina	1338	0		-15
6	England	1195	0		-55
7	Uruguay	1152	0		-22
8	Portugal	1090	0		-12
9	Egypt	1078	1		31
10	Croatia	1075	-1		-23
11	Greece	1016	0		-27
12	Norway	995	0		-9
13	Russia	982	0		-21
14	Italy	965	0		-30
15	Chile	950	1		21
16	Ghana	908	1		5
17	Slovenia	897	-2		-61
18	USA	867	6		20
18	France	867	3		15
20	Slovakia	854	-2		-12

I realize these rankings are really just some strange formula concocted by FIFA to artificially give nations and fans a sense of where their sides rank in the world. Much like college sports in the United States, there is no rhyme or reason to how they are determined, and unlike college football really do not matter. The winners of the World Cup or European Cup is determined on the pitch...plain and simple.

Good to see the World Cup hosts for 2022 have not yet cracked the top 100....sigh. That will be a great top seed for the World Cup....just saying.

Another indicator of why the FIFA World Rankings are rubbish

So the latest FIFA world rankings are out...and Les Bleus have dropped out of the top 20. What? Funny, they have not played a game since the last rankings yet they dropped...huh? I am not saying that France deserve a different ranking but how can you lose spots when you have not played a game! I realize they take into account how other nations have been doing but still...makes no sense.

Whoohooo! Les Bleus back in the FIFA top 20

Okay I say that tongue in cheek...I have always stated that the FIFA World Rankings are a bunch of malarkey aka means nothing....but it is nice to see the effect Blanc has had on the team as well as how it has been reflected in the rankings. France were ranked 27th and have jumped up to the 18th spot. The reality is all that matters for Les Bleus is that they are in first place in Group D for the Euros and that we have a real manager in place!

FIFA world rankings...why they are completely rubbish

So the first FIFA world rankings, post World Cup finals, are out. For once they are not completely rubbish since the two finalists from the World Cup are ranked 1 and 2....how novel...finish first and second in the global football tournament...and you get ranked as such in the FIFA rankings! WOW!!! Don't laugh, in the world rankings in 1998 after France DEFEATED Brazil 3-0 in the World Cup finals, Brazil was still ranked #1.  The top 20 -

Ranking	Team	Pts Jul 10	+/- Ranking May 10		+/- Pts May 10
1	Spain	1883	1		318
2	Netherlands	1659	2		428
3	Brazil	1536	-2		-75
4	Germany	1464	2		382
5	Argentina	1289	2		213
6	Uruguay	1152	10		253
7	England	1125	1		57
8	Portugal	1062	-5		-187
9	Egypt	1053	3		86
10	Chile	988	8		100
11	Italy	982	-6		-202
12	Greece	975	1		11
13	USA	969	1		12
13	Serbia	969	2		22
15	Croatia	968	-5		-73
16	Paraguay	961	15		141
17	Russia	956	-6		-59
18	Switzerland	940	6		74
19	Slovenia	917	6		57
20	Australia	911	0		25

A couple of things that make this rubbish once again:

• England went up 1 spot??? Huh??? They got throttled by Germany 4-1 and they did not even win their group, yet they move up? Explain that one to me.
• Egypt ranked 9th? Um what group were they in at the World Cup? Oh right they were home watching because they did not qualify. I realize they are the title holders for the African Cup of Nations, but not making the big show should knock you out of the top 10.
• Uruguay, Chile and Paraguay were the biggest movers on the positive side, deserved...that is not rubbish.
• France on the other hand dropped all the way to 21st, that is rubbish!! Should have dropped below 25 behind Ghana and Mexico!

These ranks are pretty useless, mainly because no one really understands how they are generated. Well at least no one that is not in the Blatter camp! Here is an idea, after every World Cup we reset the rankings. Rank all World Cup nations as the "best 32" and the rest fall into place based on how they finished qualification and some magic. At least that would give the rankings some semblance of reality. Integrate the different regional championships into the ranking when appropriate. That would give a better or at least a somewhat more realistic World Ranking.