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Saturday, March 9, 2024

FIFA ranking: April 2024 probable ranking

Here is the probable April 2024 ranking, to be published on Thursday April 4th. A very diverse offering of matches in the upcoming March window:

- match days 3 and 4 in the groups for AFC World Cup 2026 qualification;

- CONCACAF World Cup 2026 qualification starts with the stage 1 home-and-away play-offs between the 4 lowest ranked CONCACAF teams;

- the three qualification play-off paths for the EURO 2024 with two one-off semi finals and a final in each path;

- the two one-off qualification play-offs for the Copa America 2024, played in the USA;

- a three-team qualifier group for the OFC Nations Cup 2024, played in Tonga;

- qualification for the AFCON 2025 starts with preliminary play-offs between the eight lowest ranked African teams;

- the Final Four in the CONCACAF Nations League 2024, played in the USA;

- the two-legged play-off between Lithuania and Gibraltar, deciding which team remains in league C and which team relegates to league D of the UEFA Nations League 2024/25;

- lots of friendlies, both singularly scheduled and in tournament form, with the prototype of the new FIFA Series staged in 4 countries.

FIFA ranking: April 2024 probable results

Here are the probable results of all 161 played and currently scheduled matches up to and including March 31st, used to calculate the April 2024 probable ranking. The results are generated using elo ratings. Also the already played matches since February 12th, (probably) counting for the April ranking, are presented.

Wednesday, March 6, 2024

Qualification World Cup 2026 10.000 simulations (March 2024)

In the qualification tournaments for the World Cup 2026 only Asia continues their group stage in the upcoming March window. Africa and South America have a break until respectively June and September. 

North and Central America and the Caribbean will start their qualification campaign with a first stage this March, consisting of two home-and-away play-offs between the four lowest ranked teams. The two winners will progress to stage 2 and join the 28 teams who got a bye, in a group stage with a single round robin format, starting in June. The draw for the first two stages was staged last January with a seeding based on the December 2023 ranking.

Saturday, March 2, 2024

UEFA EURO 2024 simulations (March 2024)

In 2024 five of the six confederations have scheduled their continental championship for national teams. Here's the fifth and last in this series of simulation reports: Europe.


The UEFA EURO 2024 will be hosted by Germany. It's a 24-team tournament in the now known format with the four best group numbers three also progressing to the first knock-out round, the round of 16.

Qualified already are 21 teams (the host plus the group numbers one and two of ten qualification groups). The final 3 berths are determined this March in three play-off paths, in two one-off semi finals and a final per path. Compared to the EURO 2020 qualification play-offs league D no longer has it's own path, which I consider a logical thing to do.

Saturday, February 24, 2024

Copa America 2024 simulations (February 2024)

In 2024 five of the six confederations have scheduled their continental championship for national teams. Here's number four in this series of simulation reports: North, Central and South America.


The Copa America 2024 was initially intended as the continental championship of South America, edition number 48 of this oldest continental championship in the football world. However, in January 2023 a new strategic partnership was signed between CONMEBOL and CONCACAF and with that came a second combined 'Copa of the Americas' (after the Copa America Centenario in 2016). Again 6 CONCACAF teams (besides the 10 CONMEBOL members) were able to qualify for the tournament. It will be hosted by the United States. It is yet unknown if this one is the first of a combined Americas Cup from now on.

Sunday, February 18, 2024

OFC Cup of Nations 2024 simulations (February 2024)

In 2024 five of the six confederations have scheduled their continental championship for national teams. Here's number three in this series of simulation reports: Oceania.


The OFC Cup of Nations 2024 is the first continental final tournament in 8 years. The 2020 edition was first postponed and later in 2021 completely cancelled because of the strict COVID-19 measures in the Pacific island area. New Zealand was appointed to host that version.


The 2024 version now is hosted in Vanuatu and will be played from 15 to 30 June 2024. A separate qualification stage in March is played in Tonga between the four lowest ranked OFC-nations in the December 2023 ranking. This to decide one team that qualifies for the group stage proper.

Of the 4 lowest ranked teams American Samoa withdrew, so a single round robin group stage is played between Samoa, Cook Islands and host Tonga.

Sunday, February 11, 2024

FIFA ranking: February 2024 final preview

FIFA will publish the February ranking this Thursday February 15th. The Asian and African Cup of Nations, played last month in Qatar and Cote d'Ivoire respectively, both left their mark on this ranking.

The Asian Cup was won by host Qatar yesterday for a second consecutive time. In the final against Jordan they needed three penalties (all correctly given, according to people who saw the match) to win 3:1.

The African Cup (with a buck load of surprises throughout the month) will see the final tonight between host Cote d'Ivoire and Nigeria. This is how the points and positions of both teams could change in the ranking:


 

CIV

 

NGA

result

pts

pos

 

pts

pos

CIV win

1494,515

39

1522,195

28

CIV PSO win

1484,515

42

1522,195

28

NGA PSO win

1474,515

44

1530,298

27

NGA win

1472,618

45

1540,298

26


Elo predicts a draw after extra time with the host prevailing after a penalty shoot-out.