[Illusion]

Italy wins the entire thing and does not move to the top spot. It makes no sense.

#.TEAM..PTS JUL 06..+/- # MAY '06..+/- PTS MAY '06

1 Brazil 1630 0 803
2 Italy 1550 11 822
3 Argentina 1472 6 726
4 France 1462 4 713
5 England 1434 5 693
6 Netherlands 1322 -3 554
7 Spain 1309 -2 553
8 Portugal 1301 -1 551
9 Germany 1229 10 533
10 Czech Republic 1223 -8 451
11 Nigeria 1149 0 413
12 Cameroon 1109 3 387
13 Switzerland 1028 22 380
14 Uruguay 985 8 296
15 Ukraine 961 30 352
16 USA 933 -11 177
17 Denmark 927 -6 191
18 Mexico 924 -14 166
19 Paraguay 915 14 262
20 Côte d'Ivoire 909 12 240
21 Colombia 902 6 221
22 Sweden 886 -6 177
23 Croatia 854 0 168
24 Guinea 850 27 253
25 Ghana 839 23 239
26 Romania 834 -1 149
27 Turkey 824 -13 98
28 Ecuador 821 11 190
29 Egypt 819 -12 111
30 Poland 809 -1 132
31 Tunisia 805 -10 112
32 Greece 780 -12 86
33 Australia 738 9 126
34 Russia 733 3 88
35 Senegal 726 -7 47
36 Serbia and Montenegro 724 8 114
37 Bulgaria 716 0 71
38 Honduras 695 4 83
39 Republic of Ireland 694 -8 23
40 Morocco 681 -4 35
41 Scotland 677 18 101
42 Peru 661 24 111
43 Bosnia-Herzegovina 660 20 99
44 Slovakia 659 -3 46
45 Costa Rica 636 -19 -47
46 Chile 630 18 73
47 Iran 624 -24 -62
48 Togo 622 13 53
49 Japan 615 -31 -90
50 Uzbekistan 606 10 35
51 Israel 605 -2 6
52 Norway 604 -12 -23
53 Guatemala 587 9 22
54 Canada 567 29 52
55 Angola 564 2 -17
56 Korea Republic 557 -27 -120
57 Belgium 555 -1 -27
58 Wales 547 16 9
59 Panama 522 22 -1
60 Austria 506 19 -25

[isetcap]

Go Austria!

[Bulldog]

Its never made much sense Ill despite a number of efforts to make the rating system more simple and accurate FIFA still makes a fool of itself every time they present this rating.

[tacomax]

FIFA have proudly unveiled their new World Rankings which reveal that Italy have climbed eleven places following their World Cup triumph, although Brazil still retain their interminable number one status.

Amid much fanfare, FIFA claim that their 'eagerly-awaited' post-World Cup rankings 'introduces major changes in points allocation and the assessment of the opposition's strength, but also makes such factors as the importance of the match and regional strength easier to understand.'

Despite the new criteria, the rankings do offer a few noteworthy anomalies, however.

They include:

* England's points rating climbing despite their dismal WC performances.

* Sweden slipping six places to 22nd. Paraguay, whom the Swedes knocked out en route to the group stages, duly move in the opposite direction, climbing fourteen places to 19th.

* Serbia and Montenegro rising eight places despite losing all three of their matches and returning home with a minus-eight goal difference.

* Saudi Arabia being demoted a whopping 47 places to 82nd in the world. Tunisia, with whom the Saudis drew at the World Cup, and whose final goal difference was superior by just one score, fall just eight places to 31st. Clearly, it was a significant goal.

* Portugal falling to eighth in the rankings despite beating England on the way to the WC semi-finals.

* Mexico falling fourteen places as punishment for the unforgivebale crime of being beaten in extra-time by third-ranked Argentina in the WC's best game.

* WC-absentees Uruguay climbing eight places to a lofty 14th and being ranked above Mexico.

* Guinea, a country which F365 wasn’t entirely aware played football, being ranked 24th in the world. Greece, reigning champions of a continent which produced six of the quarter-finalists and all four of the semi-finalists, are a distant 32nd.

* South Korea being demoted 27 places. Togo, who lost all three of their matches, including a defeat to the Koreans, rise fourteen places to be ranked ahead of the Koreans.

* Scotland being ranked inside the top 50.

[adriano]

Nice read Taco.

I especially liked that *:

* Scotland being ranked inside the top 50.

[Illusion]

Do you guys think the United States 16th ranking is justified?

[Dark Horse]

These rankings mean nothing. They're based on wins and losses and mention nothing about the level of opponents. So if you play a bunch of crappy teams, even in friendlies (many right before the World Cup!), your FIFA ranking goes through the roof.

How hard could it be to include the level of opponents for a much more reliable list?

[xxx]

not a soccer fan, but these ranking take account games played the last 2 or three years span.