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Wednesday, December 19, 2012

FIFA Ranking: January 2013 probable ranking

Next update: 11 January 2013. 

Probable results computed using the Elo Ratings. See the list of results used for this ranking.

Not many changes expected. Cuba will rise again, as the final of the Caribbean Cup will be included in this month's calculation.

Ecuador will improve their best ever ranking - they will be 12th next month.

The January 2013 ranking will be used to compute the points for the 6 February 2013 matches.

FIFA Ranking: January 2013 probable results

Here are the probable results used for the January 2013 probable ranking. They are generated using the Elo Ratings.

Before posting comments like: "Hey my team actually beat the other team! It's a mistake!" please read the previous paragraph again and look when these results were posted (Yes, before the matches actually took place!) ;)

1 - First team wins
X - Draw
2 - Second team wins

FIFA Ranking: January 2013 preview

Next update: 11 January 2013.


Most points gained (worst case scenario):

44 - Cuba
30 - Equatorial Guinea
27 - Uzbekistan
26 - El Salvador
22 - Congo DR
19 - Libya
18 - Belize
16 - Paraguay
16 - Syria
12 - Sudan
 
Most points dropped (best case scenario):

-63 - Mali
-37 - Algeria
-32 - Sao Tome e Principe
-28 - Benin
-26 - United Arab Emirates
-24 - Trinidad and Tobago
-23 - Zambia
-19 - Chile
-17 - Egypt
-16 - Senegal


December 2012: FIFA Ranking vs. Elo Ratings

Top 10 differences for countries with a better Elo Rating:

Team - FIFA Ranking - Elo Rating - Difference


Syria 144 86 58
South Sudan 199 142 57
Fiji 169 122 47
Mauritania 206 163 43
Saudi Arabia 126 84 42
China PR 88 51 37
Bahrain 119 83 36
Korea DPR 99 64 35
Eritrea 196 161 35
New Zealand 91 57 34


Friday, December 14, 2012

FIFA Ranking: December 2012 final preview

FIFA will publish the ranking on 19 December.

I've used 16 December as deadline for matches. 17 teams can still change their totals:

Team - Minimum Points - Maximum Points - Worst possible rank - Best possible rank

Haiti 602 734 46 33
Poland 528 553 60 55
Iran 522 532 62 58
Trinidad and Tobago 483 561 72 55
FYR Macedonia 436 480 81 74
Angola 425 436 85 81
Jordan 364 373 99 94
Oman 361 369 99 94
Cuba 278 395 118 90
Saudi Arabia 264 282 127 116
Kuwait 263 281 127 116
Bahrain 260 275 127 118
Lebanon 259 274 127 119
Gambia 186 248 144 132
Syria 179 220 145 139
Palestine 152 168 153 149
Yemen 108 158 164 152

In the table below, the values used for these teams are the minimum possible.

Friday, December 7, 2012

FIFA Ranking: December 2012 probable ranking (IV)

Next update: 14 December 2012. 

FIFA will publish the ranking on 19 December.

Probable results computed using the Elo Ratings. See the list of results used for this ranking.

Couple of things will happen (not depending on probable results):

FIFA Ranking: December 2012 probable results (IV)

Here are the probable results used for the December 2012 probable ranking. They are generated using the Elo Ratings.

Before posting comments like: "Hey my team actually beat the other team! It's a mistake!" please read the previous paragraph again and look when these results were posted (Yes, before the matches actually took place!) ;)

1 - First team wins
X - Draw
2 - Second team wins

FIFA Ranking: December 2012 preview (IV)

Next update: 14 December 2012.

FIFA will publish the ranking on 19 December.

The top 21 teams are already set.

Haiti could climb to 22nd, Dominican Republic to 33rd.


Best teams to play against on 6 February 2013

I've used probable results for the 2012 Caribbean Cup and a couple of January friendlies.

This is based on (FIFA points for a win) / (actual effort from Elo rating).

Only teams that would bring at least 200 points for an OFC opponent:

Friday, November 23, 2012

FIFA Ranking: December 2012 probable ranking (III)

Next update: November / December 2012. 

FIFA will publish the ranking on 19 December.


Argentina - Brazil 2 - 1, Brazil won after PSO. In light of the Uganda - Zambia match, I gave Argentina 3 points and Brazil 0 points, since the Superclásico de las Américas was played over two legs.

Five competitions left: 2012 CECAFA Cup, 2012 AFF Suzuki Cup (group stage and semifinals), 2012 Caribbean Cup and 2012 WAFF Championship (group stage only) and the qualifiers for the 2013 EAFF Cup. 'Tis the season to be busy! :)

Probable results computed using the Elo Ratings. See the list of results used for this ranking.

FIFA Ranking: December 2012 probable results (III)

Here are the probable results used for the December 2012 probable ranking. They are generated using the Elo Ratings.

Before posting comments like: "Hey my team actually beat the other team! It's a mistake!" please read the previous paragraph again and look when these results were posted (Yes, before the matches actually took place!) ;)

1 - First team wins
X - Draw
2 - Second team wins

FIFA Ranking: December 2012 preview (III)

Next update: November / December 2012.

FIFA will publish the ranking on 19 December.

The top 21 teams are already set.

Haiti could climb to 22nd, Dominican Republic to 33rd.

Ecuador, Mali, Montserrat and Timor-Leste will improve their best ever ranking.

Côte d'Ivoire will return to their best ever ranking.

Brazil and Sri Lanka will fall to new lows.

EURO 2016 pots: How many points does my team need?

A Romanian journalist asked me two weeks ago how many wins does Romania need to climb in the second pot for the EURO 2016 qualifying draw.

Taking the EURO 2012 pots as a guide line (removing France and adding Poland and Ukraine), these are the thresholds:

Pot 1: 31268
Pot 2: 28133
Pot 3: 24381
Pot 4: 19409
Pot 5: 14730


EURO 2016 qualifying draw seeding (23 November 2012)

Next update: March / April 2013.

The coefficients for the EURO 2016 qualifying draw will take into account results from:

2010 World Cup (qualifiers and final tournament) - 20% of total weighting
EURO 2012 (qualifiers and final tournament) - 40% of total weighting
2014 World Cup (qualifiers) - 40% of total weighting

Click here for more info on the coefficient system.

France will host the final tournament.

The qualifying format is already known (but things might change): 9 groups (2 x 5, 7 x 6)

Top two from each group and the best team in third place advance. The other eight play-off for the final four spots.

2014 FIFA World Cup seeding update (23 November 2012)

Next update: February 2013

Includes matches up to and including 21 November 2012.

See more info in the original 2014 FIFA World Cup seeding post.

November 2012: FIFA Ranking vs. Elo Ratings

Top 10 differences for countries with a better Elo Rating:

Team - FIFA Ranking - Elo Rating - Difference


South Sudan 200 131 69
Syria 147 82 65
Fiji 167 120 47
Mauritania 206 163 43
China PR 88 49 39
Thailand 152 113 39
Finland 91 58 33
New Zealand 93 60 33
Eritrea 192 159 33
Papua New Guinea 195 162 33

Friday, November 16, 2012

FIFA Ranking: December 2012 probable ranking (II)

Next update: 23 November 2012. 

FIFA will publish the ranking on 19 December.


Probable results computed using the Elo Ratings. See the list of results used for this ranking.

No time for the preview today. Of the top 50 only Argentina, Brazil, Australia, Jamaica and Haiti still have matches to play.

Argentina can't move from 3rd, no matter what they do against Brazil, who could be ranked between 16th and 18th depending on the result of the Superclásico de las Américas. A new worst ever ranking for Brazil.

FIFA Ranking: December 2012 probable results (II)

Here are the probable results used for the December 2012 probable ranking. They are generated using the Elo Ratings.

Before posting comments like: "Hey my team actually beat the other team! It's a mistake!" please read the previous paragraph again and look when these results were posted (Yes, before the matches actually took place!) ;)

1 - First team wins
X - Draw
2 - Second team wins

Friday, November 9, 2012

FIFA Ranking: December 2012 probable ranking

Next update: 16 November 2012. 

FIFA will publish the ranking on 19 December.

Probable results computed using the Elo Ratings. See the list of results used for this ranking. 

The 2012 CECAFA Cup draw is scheduled for 12 November, thus I couldn't generate the probable results for this competition.

Based on these probable results, Vietnam, Sao Tome e Principe, Cuba, Thailand, Trinidad and Tobago, and Jamaica would climb more than 15 spots, while Belize, Bermuda, Saudi Arabia, Chad, Lebanon, Afghanistan, Wales, Korea DPR, Curacao and Dominican Republic would drop more than 15 places.


FIFA Ranking: December 2012 probable results

Here are the probable results used for the December 2012 probable ranking. They are generated using the Elo Ratings.

Before posting comments like: "Hey my team actually beat the other team! It's a mistake!" please read the previous paragraph again and look when these results were posted (Yes, before the matches actually took place!) ;)

1 - First team wins
X - Draw
2 - Second team wins

FIFA Ranking: December 2012 preview

Next update: 16 November 2012. 

FIFA will publish the ranking on 19 December.

The 2012 CECAFA Cup draw is scheduled for 12 November, but I've computed the possible minimum and maximum values for the 11 FIFA members involved.

The top 3 will remain unchanged, while Colombia could climb as high as 4th. Even if they lose to Brazil, they won't drop from their current 8th spot.

FIFA Ranking: November 2012 differences

You might have noticed Uganda's and Zambia's points in the official November 2012 FIFA ranking were different from the ones in my November 2012 final preview.

As Ed already noticed, FIFA changed the PSO algorithm after I've sent them an e-mail. Uganda got the full 3 points, while Zambia got 0, instead of the previous method of calculation: 1 for Uganda, 2 for Zambia.

Friday, November 2, 2012

FIFA Ranking: November 2012 final preview

FIFA will publish the ranking on 7 November.

Just one match left: Vietnam - Malaysia, a friendly scheduled for tomorrow. This is how the points can change for these two teams:

Vietnam (W: 217, D: 207, L: 202, not included: 212)
Malaysia (W: 142, D: 132, L: 127, not included: 133)

In the table below I've used the minimum values.

On 9 October, the FIFA Disciplinary Committee has declared the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil™ qualifying match Sudan-Zambia of 2 June 2012 to be lost by forfeit by Sudan (0-3), but the result still appears as 2-0 win for Sudan. I wrote to FIFA - got no reply. I will use the 2 - 0 result.

FIFA Ranking: Penalty shoot-out matches

Uganda came close to eliminating Zambia (the AFCON title holder) in Kampala last month. The Zambians won the first leg 1 - 0, but Geofrey Massa's goal after 25 minutes had leveled the situation over the two legs. It finally came down to penalties and the Zambians prevailed 9 - 8.

Perhaps some you expect Uganda to make quite a leap in the November FIFA ranking after defeating a team ranked 41st in a qualifier? A quick calculation for this match: 3 * 2.5 * 0.86 * (200 - 41) = 1022.55 points and a total of 428 points overall, a jump of 4 places to 86th. Good news for Bobby Williamson and the Cranes. Well, not quite.

FIFA Ranking: Rules for friendly matches

On 25 October 2012, FIFA sent a circular letter (#1324 - FIFA-Coca-Cola Ranking) to all its members.

Following an analysis of the legal framework, as well as the implementation of the FIFA Regulations Governing International Matches, FIFA would like to clarify the criteria for a match to be included in the list of matches used to calculate the FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking.

Friday, October 19, 2012

FIFA Ranking: November 2012 preview (II)

Next update: 2 November 2012.

11 matches left before 3 November, the deadline I think FIFA will use. A couple of 2013 Gold Cup qualifiers in the Caribbean and a couple of friendlies in Vietnam.The results of these matches will not affect the top 90.

On 9 October, the FIFA Disciplinary Committee has declared the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil™ qualifying match Sudan-Zambia of 2 June 2012 to be lost by forfeit by Sudan (0-3), but the result still appears as 2-0 win for Sudan. However, for my calculations I have used the 0-3 result.

EURO 2016 qualifying draw seeding (19 October 2012)

Next update: November 2012.

The coefficients for the EURO 2016 qualifying draw will take into account results from:

2010 World Cup (qualifiers and final tournament) - 20% of total weighting
EURO 2012 (qualifiers and final tournament) - 40% of total weighting
2014 World Cup (qualifiers) - 40% of total weighting

Click here for more info on the coefficient system.

2014 FIFA World Cup seeding update (19 October 2012)

Next update: October 2012

Includes matches up to and including 17 October 2012.

See more info in the original 2014 FIFA World Cup seeding post.

Friday, October 12, 2012

Best teams to play against on 14 November

This is based on (FIFA points for a win) / (actual effort from Elo rating).

I ran 10000 simulations using the Elo Ratings for the matches still to be played before the November 2012 FIFA ranking deadline.


I took into account only teams that would bring at least 200 points for an OFC opponent.

Of the top 20 best teams to play against only 8 are still available for the 14 November FIFA match date.

I'm not 100% (thus I can't take the credit for it), but one of teams is no longer available because of a list of ideal opponents I sent to certain FA.

2013 African Cup of Nations qualifying simulations

10000 simulations using the Elo Ratings.

Chances of qualification:

98.03% - Congo DR
97.75% - Mali
95.32% - Nigeria
95.20% - Ghana
93.63% - Tunisia
93.00% - Côte d'Ivoire
91.32% - Guinea

October 2012: FIFA Ranking vs. Elo Ratings

Top 10 differences for countries with a better Elo Rating:

Team - FIFA Ranking - Elo Rating - Difference


Syria 150 82 68
South Sudan 198 132 66
Fiji 167 117 50
Mauritania 205 164 41
China PR 85 48 37
Finland 88 53 35
Latvia 118 83 35
Moldova 145 112 33
Indonesia 170 140 30
Papua New Guinea 193 163 30

Friday, October 5, 2012

FIFA Ranking: November 2012 probable ranking

Next update: 19 October 2012.

FIFA will publish the ranking on 7 November.

Probable results computed using the Elo Ratings. See the list of results used for this ranking.

Based on these probable results we could see Myanmar climb 36 spots, with Finland, Guyana, Albania, St. Kitts and Nevis, Cambodia, Laos, Belarus and Congo DR climbing more than 15.


Wales would tumble 32 spots to 89th. while Cyprus, Congo, Armenia and Grenada would drop at least 14 places.


In the top 50, Montenegro, Republic of Ireland  and Venezuela would drop 7 or more spots, while Serbia, Turkey, USA, Ukraine and Jamaica would climb 7 or more spots.

FIFA Ranking: November 2012 probable results

Here are the probable results used for the November 2012 probable ranking. They are generated using the Elo Ratings.

Before posting comments like: "Hey my team actually beat the other team! It's a mistake!" please read the previous paragraph again and look when these results were posted (Yes, before the matches actually took place!) ;)

1 - First team wins
X - Draw
2 - Second team wins

FIFA Ranking: November 2012 preview

Next update: 19 October 2012.

FIFA will publish the ranking on 7 November.

Two second round groups of the Caribbean Championship qualifiers will also take place in October, but I don't have the exact dates. However, they are scheduled after 19 October (my next update).

Spain still safe in first place. Even if they lose to Belarus and France, Germany would still be three points behind them even with wins against the Republic of Ireland and Sweden.

Thailand will fall to its worst ever raking, dropping to at least 144th - at worst 155th. Their previous worst ever ranking was 141st in April 2012.

Friday, September 28, 2012

FIFA Ranking: October 2012 final preview

FIFA will publish the ranking on 3 October.

Lost of movement in the top 10 - only Spain and Germany keep their places. Colombia and Greece replace Croatia and Denmark in the top 10. England slip to 5th. Portugal up to 3rd.

Colombia return to the top 10 after 10 years - they were 9th in July 2002 and they will be 9th in October.

Central African Republic break into the top 50 for the first time ever. They were 202nd in August 2010.

Montserrat leave the bottom of the ranking in style, after defeating British Virgin Islands 7 - 0. They will climb at least 25 places.

The Irish press and FIFA ranking

In my August 2012 preview, posted on 20 July 2012, there was a list of games removed from FIFA's list of "A" matches. Among them, a 0 - 0 draw between Hungary and the Republic of Ireland, played on 4 June 2012.

Last week I received an e-mail from Irish reader who wanted to know about the impact this removal would have on Ireland's FIFA ranking. Apparently, a reporter from the Irish Daily Star discovered two months later that this friendly had disappeared from FIFA.com.

Enjoy these fine pieces of journalism, well documented of course, about the FIFA ranking and the seeding for the FIFA World Cup final tournament.

Friday, September 21, 2012

EURO 2016 qualifying draw seeding (21 September 2012)

Next update: October 2012.

Updated to include missing 11 September matches. Thanks Ed!

The coefficients for the EURO 2016 qualifying draw will take into account results from:

2010 World Cup (qualifiers and final tournament) - 20% of total weighting
EURO 2012 (qualifiers and final tournament) - 40% of total weighting
2014 World Cup (qualifiers) - 40% of total weighting

Click here for more info on the coefficient system.

2014 FIFA World Cup seeding update (21 September 2012)

Next update: October 2012

Includes matches up to and including 20 September 2012.

See more info in the original 2014 FIFA World Cup seeding post.


2015 UEFA European Under-21 Championship qualifying seeding (21 September 2012)

Next update: 19 October 2012.

As soon as the 2013 play-offs conclude we'll have the final coefficients for the 2015 qualifying round draw. The 2013 qualifying round draw took place on 3 February 2011, so I think the draw for the 2015 preliminaries will take place in late January / early February 2013.

Going by the 2013 procedure, there will be 4 pots of 10 teams and one of 12 teams.

2016 UEFA European Under-21 Championship - possible format

Yes, 2016, not 2015. The 2015 edition will be hosted by the Czech Republic (more on this in my next post).

The 2015 edition will be the last U21 tournament before the competition reverts to even numbered years the following summer.

UEFA moved the tournament to odd years starting from 2007 "to allow it to step out of the shadow of the UEFA European Football Championship and the FIFA World Cup.". It seems being in the shadow is just fine :)

2013 UEFA Under-21 final draw seeding (21 September 2012)

The final draw will take place on 28 November.

These are the play-off matches to be played on 12 and 16 October.

Spain (holders) v Denmark
Italy v Sweden
Czech Republic v Russia
Slovakia v Netherlands
Germany v Switzerland
England v Serbia
France v Norway

I'm not Dutch, really!

I'm not Dutch, really!

I've seen two articles in the Norwegian and Icelandic press mentioning the "the experts from football-rankings.info in the Netherlands" and "Dutch football statistics site football-rankings.info".

I'm pleased they did mention the source of their information (unlike the Scottish Daily Record - they keep forgetting), but there are two problems.

Friday, September 14, 2012

FIFA Ranking: October 2012 preview (II)

Next update: 28 September 2012.

FIFA will publish the ranking on 3 October.

FIFA have removed the deadline information - it used to be on Thursday before the release of the rankings. I will still use it for this month, then I will most likely move the deadline for the calculation to Saturday.

15 matches left - only one of them involving team in the top 100: Brazil vs. Argentina on 19 September. Couple of friendlies and continental qualifiers. 15 teams involved in these matches and this an overview of minimum/maximum points and highest/lowest ranking possible for them:

Friday, September 7, 2012

2013 African Cup of Nations: Seeding for the final draw (7 September 2012)

An update of the February 2012 post.

The last three tournaments count towards the ranking (ACN 2006, ACN 2008, ACN 2010).

Points are awarded in this fashion:

7 - winner
5 - finalist
3 - semifinalists
2 - quarterfinalists
1 - teams eliminated in the group stage

Points from the most recent tournament are multiplied by 3, the next one by 2, the last one by 1.

Victor Piturca playing the blame game

Romania returned in September to their worst ever ranking - 57th.

This is what Victor Piturca, the national team manager, had to say about it:

"We're below Estonia because of the matches played two years ago, when I wasn't in charge. Lately, the national team gained points and it will keep on climbing. Since I've returned as manager, we have only lost to Belgium and Slovenia. The numbers prove this."

That's wrong (and I'm not a fan of Razvan Lucescu - the previous manager).

Confusion in Indian football (II)

Different manager, same lack of knowledge about the rankings.

India's chief football coach Wim Koevarmans said that India must play on dates designated by world body FIFA for friendlies if they want to go up in international rankings.

That's sort of an urban myth. Plenty of teams play friendlies outside of the designated FIFA dates and their matches still count for the ranking calculation.

FIFA Ranking: October 2012 probable ranking

Next update: Sometime next week.

FIFA will publish the ranking on 3 October.

Probable results computed using the Elo Ratings. See the list of results used for this ranking.

Based on these probable results we could see Barbados jump 40 or more spots, Northern Ireland and Cyprus 30 or more, Bulgaria and Israel 20 or more, while Luxembourg could drop more than 40 places, with Iceland dropping around 26 places.

In the top 50, Scotland, Norway and Panama could jump 10 or more places, while Hungary, Ukraine and Algeria could do the opposite.

FIFA Ranking: October 2012 probable results

Here are the probable results used for the October 2012 probable ranking. They are generated using the Elo Ratings.

Before posting comments like: "Hey my team actually beat the other team! It's a mistake!" please read the previous paragraph again and look when these results were posted (Yes, before the matches actually took place!) ;)

1 - First team wins
X - Draw
2 - Second team wins

FIFA Ranking: October 2012 preview

Next update: Sometime next week.

Includes matches up to 6 September.

FIFA will publish the ranking on 3 October.

England's 3rd place adventure will most likely end - even if they win both their matches (against Moldova and Ukraine). Uruguay, Argentina and Portugal could all reach a higher total, dropping England to a probable 6th place.

Most points dropped (best case scenario):

-39 - Congo
-38 - Thailand
-35 - St. Vincent and the Grenadines
-31 - Italy
-30 - Qatar
-30 - St. Kitts and Nevis
-25 - Fiji
-24 - Chad
-21 - Madagascar
-18 - Korea DPR


September 2012: FIFA Ranking vs. Elo Ratings

Top 10 differences for countries with a better Elo Rating:

Team - FIFA Ranking - Elo Rating - Difference 


South Sudan 197 128 69
Syria 148 86 62
Mauritania 204 164 40
Finland 96 58 38
Cyprus 135 98 37
Bulgaria 89 53 36
Moldova 141 107 34
Cuba 147 114 33
Fiji 155 122 33
Indonesia 168 138 30


Friday, August 17, 2012

FIFA Ranking: September 2012 preview (II)

Next update: 31 August 2012.

FIFA will publish the ranking on 5 September.

The official deadline for matches is 30 August, thus the India - Cameroon match (31 August) shouldn't be included. However, FIFA do have the habit of moving the deadline - no later than Sunday though.

Ten matches left - all friendlies. Jamaica - Kenya and nine Nehru Cup matches.

August 2012: FIFA Ranking vs. Elo Ratings

Top 10 differences for countries with a better Elo Rating:

Team - FIFA Ranking - Elo Rating - Difference


Syria 147 67 80
South Sudan 199 128 71
Bulgaria 94 53 41
Mauritania 203 164 39
Cuba 149 113 36
New Caledonia 141 106 35
Israel 82 48 34
Fiji 155 122 33
Moldova 137 108 29
Kyrgyzstan 196 167 29

Friday, August 10, 2012

FIFA Women's Ranking: August 2012 final preview

FIFA will publish the ranking on 17 August 2012.

FIFA have confirmed by e-mail Great Britain matches won't be included.

Best movers:

5 - Wales and South Africa
2 - Iceland, New Zealand, Austria, Hong Kong, Zimbabwe and Ethiopia


Worst movers:

-4 - Hungary
-3 - Korea DPR and Slovakia
-2 - Sweden, Republic of Ireland and Uruguay

FIFA Ranking: September 2012 probable ranking

Next update: 17 August 2012.

FIFA will publish the ranking on 5 September 2012.

Probable results computed using the Elo Ratings. See the list of results used for this ranking. Also check the preview for minimum and maximum points for each team.

FIFA Ranking: September 2012 probable results

Here are the probable results used for the September 2012 probable ranking. They are generated using the Elo Ratings.

Before posting comments like: "Hey my team actually beat the other team! It's a mistake!" please read the previous paragraph again and look when these results were posted (Yes, before the matches actually took place!) ;)

I used the official deadline for matches: 30 August 2012. 

FIFA Ranking: September 2012 preview

Next update: 17 August 2012.

FIFA will publish the ranking on 5 September 2012.

Four teams will improve their best ever ranking:

Mali will be at least 34th (previous best 35th - February 2007).
Central African Republic will be at least 68th (previous best 71 - August 2012).
Dominican Republic will be at least 105th (previous best 116 - May 1996).
American Samoa will be at least 174th (previous best 182 - August 2012).

Nehru Cup - Could AIFF have invited better teams?

The AIFF (All India Football Federation) have invited 4 teams for the 2012 Nehru Cup: Cameroon (rank 59), Syria (147), Maldives (161) and Nepal (162). India (ranked 168) would get 363.78 points for a win against Cameroon, 136.74 for Syria and 129 for winning against Maldives or Nepal.

Friday, August 3, 2012

FIFA Ranking: Teams in need of matches for the August 2012 ranking

There are 29 teams that will not have the required 5 matches in the last 12 months when the August 2012 FIFA Ranking will be released. For these teams, FIFA will basically add a number of "virtual defeats" equal to the difference between the number of matches actually played by that team in the last 12 months and the required 5 matches.

Only Vietnam and Syria will be in the top 150.

FIFA Women's Ranking: Great Britain = England?

Have you noticed the women's fixtures and results for England on FIFA.com?

Quite interesting.

Here's the current top 30 (as of 3 August - before the Olympic tournament quarter finals) - without the Great Britain matches.

Match fixing spam

In the past week I've received two messages related to match fixing.

29 July

Hello

My name is Richard, from sweden. I know something about fixed games from first hand (i know guy who buying that informations). I can divide it with you, it's always 100% sure tips with odds 4-8, sometimes higher. Email me if you're interested :l***richard@gmail.com

Friday, July 27, 2012

2018 FIFA World Cup: 3 years left until the preliminary draw

Next update: July/August 2013.

Assumption: same formats and schedule as for the 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.

Going the 2014 schedule, the 2018 FIFA World Cup preliminary draw will take place around 1 August 2015 and the FIFA ranking used to seed the teams from AFC, CAF and UEFA will be the July 2015 edition, while for the CONCACAF teams the March 2015 ranking will be used.

This means we already have 10% of the final formula (even more for CONCACAF teams), as the 0.2 time frame will close in a couple of days.

Mistake in the English FA work permit FIFA ranking averages

Last week I wrote about the UK work permit and a comment (I did say I have some very knowledgeable readers) made me realize a mistake I've made in my research - and this helped me find a mistake in the ranking produced by the English FA.

First of all, the English FA doesn't use the average FIFA ranking, but the ranking of the averages :)

Friday, July 20, 2012

FIFA Ranking: August 2012 final preview

FIFA will publish the ranking on 8 August.


Only one match left: Guam - Macau.

This is how the points can change for these two teams:

Guam (L: 28, D: 35, W: 50)
Macau (L: 13, D: 22, W: 39)

Premier league work permit - non-EU ranking

I've heard a lot of people talking about the the work permit rules.

I took a look at the average rankings for this transfer window, the number of competitive matches in the last two years and the number of players each country had in the English Premier League last season - non-EU (European Union) countries only.

FIFA Women's Ranking: August 2012 preview

Next update: 10 August 2012 

FIFA will publish the ranking on 17 August.

Only 15 teams can still change their totals (11 of them will be at the Olympics).

The current rank shown in the next two tables is the current rank as of today - see the third table. That's why Brazil are 4th and not 5th as in the June ranking.

Friday, July 13, 2012

FIFA Ranking: Mano Menezes hoping against hope

Hoping against mathematics actually. Really, someone at CBF should take a look at the ranking procedure and explain it to Mr. Menezes, otherwise he's in for a surprise in the following months.

When asked last week about Brazil's fall out of the top 10, Mr. Menezes replied:

July 2012: FIFA Ranking vs. Elo Ratings


Top 10 differences for countries with a better Elo Rating:

Team - FIFA Ranking - Elo Rating - Difference

Syria 132 66 66
Solomon Islands 174 131 43
Mauritania 202 162 40
Bulgaria 92 53 39
Fiji 161 122 39
New Caledonia 143 106 37
Cuba 150 113 37
Israel 82 48 34
Moldova 139 108 31
Eritrea 189 158 31


EURO 2012: Castrol Index Bottom 11

During the 2010 World Cup, I posted this after looking at the Castrol Index ranking and the heat maps.

Unfortunately, there were no heat maps for EURO 2012, but here's the bottom 11 (even if some players might be out of position):

Friday, July 6, 2012

FIFA Ranking: August 2012 preview

Next update: 3 August 2012.

FIFA will publish the ranking on 8 August.

Only 3 matches left, all friendlies: South Sudan - Uganda, Guam - Macau and Jamaica - Liberia.

EURO 2016 qualifying draw seeding (6 July 2012)

Next update: 21 September 2012.

The coefficients for the EURO 2016 qualifying draw will take into account results from:

2010 World Cup (qualifiers and final tournament) - 20% of total weighting
EURO 2012 (qualifiers and final tournament) - 40% of total weighting
2014 World Cup (qualifiers) - 40% of total weighting

Click here for more info on the coefficient system.

2014 FIFA World Cup seeding update (6 July 2012)

Next update: 21 September 2012

Include matches up to and including July 1st 2012.

See more info in the original 2014 FIFA World Cup seeding post.

Friday, June 29, 2012

FIFA Ranking: July 2012 final preview

FIFA will publish the ranking on 4 July.

Four matches left:

29/06 Yemen - Morocco (Friendly)
30/06 Central African Republic - Egypt (Continental Qualifier)
30/06 Sudan - Iraq (Friendly)
01/07 Spain - Italy (Continental Final)

Wednesday, June 20, 2012

FIFA Ranking: Brazil out of the top 10

Only two countries have to go way back to the first edition of the FIFA Ranking (August 1993) to see their worst ever ranking: Brazil (8th) and South Africa (109th).

From 4 July it will be easier for officials at CBF to find their worst ever ranking, as Brazil will drop to at least 11th.

FIFA Ranking: July 2012 probable ranking (II)

Next update: 29 June 2012.

FIFA will publish the ranking on 4 July 2012.

Probable results computed using the Elo Ratings. See the list of results used for this ranking.

Only 18 matches left. 7 EURO 2012 knock-out stage matches, one 2013 AFCON qualifier and 10 friendlies (9 of them in the Arab Nations Cup). 21 teams are involved in these matches. For the other 187 teams the totals are already final. Also check the preview to see how the totals can vary for these 21 teams.

FIFA Ranking: July 2012 probable results (II)

Here are the probable results used for the July 2012 probable ranking. They are generated using the Elo Ratings.

Before posting comments like: "Hey my team actually beat the other team! It's a mistake!" please read the previous paragraph again and look when these results were posted (Yes, before the matches actually took place!) ;)

1 - First team wins
X - Draw
2 - Second team wins

FIFA Ranking: July 2012 preview (II)

Next update: 29 June 2012.

FIFA will publish the ranking on 4 July 2012.

All OFC Nations Cup matches currently being played in the Solomon Islands will be reflected in the ranking in July (see FIFA.com).

EURO 2016: Expansion to 24 teams 'not ideal'

An old article pointed out by Lusankya. Will post the most important part just in case it disappears from The Independent.

Friday, June 15, 2012

FIFA Ranking: July 2012 quick peek

The full update will be posted on Wednesday, at the end of the EURO 2012 group stage.

Uruguay's time as 2nd in the world will end, as Germany will have at least 1318 points, while La Celeste will only have 1297.

2013 UEFA Under-21 play-off seeding (15 June 2012)

Next update: 21 September 2012.

The coefficients for the 2013 UEFA European Under-21 Championship playoff draw will take into account results from:

2009 UEFA European Under-21 Championship (qualifiers and final tournament) - 20% of total weighting
2011 UEFA European Under-21 Championship (qualifiers and final tournament) - 40% of total weighting
2013 UEFA European Under-21 Championship (qualifiers) - 40% of total weighting

More info about the Under-21 coefficient on UEFA.com (PDF file).


June 2012: FIFA Ranking vs. Elo Ratings

Top 10 differences for countries with a better Elo Rating:

Team - FIFA Ranking - Elo Rating - Difference


Syria 126 63 63
Solomon Islands 183 120 63
Fiji 161 117 44
Vanuatu 171 130 41
Mauritania 203 162 41
Cuba 145 107 38
Bulgaria 90 53 37
New Caledonia 155 118 37
New Zealand 100 64 36
Tahiti 179 145 34


Friday, June 8, 2012

FIFA Ranking: How are Uruguay second?

That's the big question on Twitter it seems :)

Uruguay are second because they managed a draw against Venezuela and Germany lost against Switzerland. La Celeste will most likely leave the podium and drop to 5th in July.

FIFA Ranking: July 2012 probable ranking

Next update: 20 June 2012.

FIFA will publish the ranking on 4 July 2012.

Probable results computed using the Elo Ratings. See the list of results used for this ranking.

Based on these probable results:

Côte d'Ivoire will break into the top 10 for the first time ever.

Tahiti and New Caledonia will climb 20+ places, with Cameroon and Namibia climbing 15+ spots.

Faroe Islands, Vietnam and Libya will drop 20 or more places.

FIFA Ranking: July 2012 probable results

Here are the probable results used for the July 2012 probable ranking. They are generated using the Elo Ratings.

Before posting comments like: "Hey my team actually beat the other team! It's a mistake!" please read the previous paragraph again and look when these results were posted (Yes, before the matches actually took place!) ;)

The OFC Nations Cup matches are considered World Cup qualifiers by FIFA (more info).

1 - First team wins
X - Draw
2 - Second team wins

FIFA Ranking: July 2012 preview

Next update: 20 June 2012.

FIFA will publish the ranking on 4 July 2012.

All OFC Nations Cup matches currently being played in the Solomon Islands will be reflected in the ranking in July (see FIFA.com).

Tahiti will climb at least 28 places, Solomon Islands at least 8, Barbados and New Caledonia at least 7.

 Faroe Islands will drop at least 30 spots, Laos at least 18, Camboadi and Samoa at least 17.

2014 FIFA World Cup seeding update (8 June 2012)

By request.

Next update: 7 July 2012 or earlier if needed.

Include matches up to and including June 7th 2012.

See more info in the original 2014 FIFA World Cup seeding post.

This is the top 20 of the intermediate October 2013 FIFA ranking:

Monday, June 4, 2012

FIFA Ranking: June 2012 final preview

The 2012 June ranking will be published on 6 June. The official deadline for matches is 31 May. However, in the article connected to the May FIFA Ranking it says:

The June edition will undoubtedly bring more movement with it, as friendlies are played in Europe to warm up for UEFA EURO 2012 and another batch of 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil™ qualifiers influence the calculations. 

The first qualifiers will take place on 1 June, after the official deadline, so for the June ranking I will use Sunday, 3 June 2012, as deadline for matches. Not sure if FIFA will do the same.

Uruguay up to 2nd, only 4 points ahead of  Germany. In the top 10, only Spain, Netherlands and Croatia didn't move.

Friday, June 1, 2012

South Sudan are giving FIFA headaches

I suspect the people in charge of FIFA's website are trying to add South Sudan to the list of associations. The flags are in disorder.

Go to the the Fixtures and Results section, then press more.

See Uzbekistan's flag - truly home of the brave, land of the free :)
USA have Uruguay's flag - will FIFA give them La Celeste's ranking, too?
Uruguay have Ukraine flag - will they compete at EURO 2012?

If everything looks fine, it means FIFA have fixed it already.

About me:

Christian, husband, father x 3, programmer, Romanian. Started the blog in March 2007. Quit in April 2018. You can find me on LinkedIn.

FIFA Ranking: Final June preview on Monday

I will post the final preview on Monday since the many matches scheduled for this week-end will affect the ranking, although they are played after the official Thursday deadline.

See explanation below:

The 2012 June ranking will be published on 6 June. The official deadline for matches is 31 May. However, in the article connected to the May FIFA Ranking it says:

The June edition will undoubtedly bring more movement with it, as friendlies are played in Europe to warm up for UEFA EURO 2012 and another batch of 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil™ qualifiers influence the calculations. 

The first qualifiers will take place on 1 June, after the official deadline, so for the June ranking I will use Sunday, 3 June 2012, as deadline for matches. Not sure if FIFA will do the same.

About me:

Christian, husband, father x 3, programmer, Romanian. Started the blog in March 2007. Quit in April 2018. You can find me on LinkedIn.

Monday, May 28, 2012

FIFA Women's Ranking: June 2012 final preview

FIFA will publish the ranking on June 1st.

I'm still waiting for an answer for FIFA regarding possible errors in the rankings, so bear this in mind while looking at the table below.

Only three matches left:

Slovakia - Korea DPR (Friendly)
Canada - China PR (Friendly)
Germany - Romania (Continental Qualifier)

This is how the points can change:

Order of fields: Team, Current points, followed by points lost/gained for 6 - 0, 1 - 0, 0 - 1 and 0 - 6 score lines.

Germany 2168 (0, -4, -25, -29)
Canada 1971 (3, 1,  -10, -12)
Korea DPR 1970 (2, 0, -10, -13)
China PR (12, 10, -1, -3)
Romania (29, 25, 4, 0)
Slovakia (13, 10, 0, -2)

Current ranking (as of 28 May 2012)


Friday, May 25, 2012

FIFA Women's ranking: Update postponed

I know I promised an update today, but since there are many matches that could affect the top 10 this week-end, I decided to postpone the update for Monday, 28 May 2012.

About me:

Christian, husband, father x 3, programmer, Romanian. Started the blog in March 2007. Quit in April 2018. You can find me on LinkedIn.

FIFA Ranking: June 2012 probable ranking (II)

Probable results computed using the Elo Ratings. See the list of results used for this ranking.

The 2012 June ranking will be published on 6 June. The official deadline for matches is 31 May. However, in the article connected to the May FIFA Ranking it says:

The June edition will undoubtedly bring more movement with it, as friendlies are played in Europe to warm up for UEFA EURO 2012 and another batch of 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil™ qualifiers influence the calculations. 

The first qualifiers will take place on 1 June, after the official deadline, so for the June ranking I will use Sunday, 3 June 2012, as deadline for matches. Not sure if FIFA will do the same.


FIFA Ranking: June 2012 probable results (II)

Here are the probable results used for the June 2012 probable ranking. They are generated using the Elo Ratings.

Before posting comments like: "Hey my team actually beat the other team! It's a mistake!" please read the previous paragraph again and look when these results were posted (Yes, before the matches actually took place!) ;)

The OFC Nations Cup matches are considered World Cup qualifiers by FIFA (more info).


FIFA Ranking: June 2012 preview (II)

The 2012 June ranking will be published on 6 June. The official deadline for matches is 31 May. However, in the article connected to the May FIFA Ranking it says:

The June edition will undoubtedly bring more movement with it, as friendlies are played in Europe to warm up for UEFA EURO 2012 and another batch of 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil™ qualifiers influence the calculations. 

The first qualifiers will take place on 1 June, after the official deadline, so for the June ranking I will use Sunday, 3 June 2012, as deadline for matches. Not sure if FIFA will do the same.

Friday, May 18, 2012

EURO 2012 simulations

10000 simulations using the Elo Ratings.

Most likely final:

14.41% - Netherlands vs. Spain
12.73% - Germany vs. Netherlands
11.65% - Germany vs. Spain
4.38% - England vs. Spain
3.17% - Italy vs. Spain
3.05% - Croatia vs. Spain
2.61% - Spain vs. Sweden
2.49% - England vs. Netherlands
2.16% - England vs. Germany
2.09% - Netherlands vs. Portugal

By team

Columns: Team - 4th in group, 3rd in group, out in QF, out in SF, losing finalists, winners


Team G4 G3 LQF LSF LF W
Croatia 23.47% 34.32% 23.62% 11.70% 4.56% 2.33%
Czech Republic 28.51% 26.61% 34.36% 7.34% 2.23% 0.95%
Denmark 57.17% 27.72% 7.03% 5.53% 1.74% 0.81%
England 14.99% 21.70% 33.72% 16.57% 7.67% 5.35%
France 33.69% 27.41% 24.66% 9.34% 3.19% 1.71%
Germany 7.06% 18.45% 15.50% 22.59% 16.57% 19.83%
Greece 29.02% 25.76% 35.63% 6.88% 2.05% 0.66%
Italy 25.03% 31.44% 23.65% 12.49% 4.84% 2.55%
Netherlands 5.00% 13.49% 14.98% 24.39% 18.60% 23.54%
Poland 22.84% 23.71% 40.39% 9.51% 2.79% 0.76%
Portugal 30.77% 40.34% 10.87% 10.69% 4.47% 2.86%
Republic of Ireland 49.82% 28.67% 13.91% 5.35% 1.49% 0.76%
Russia 19.63% 23.92% 41.24% 10.04% 3.59% 1.58%
Spain 1.68% 5.57% 20.69% 22.49% 17.85% 31.72%
Sweden 24.34% 25.53% 30.29% 12.20% 4.99% 2.65%
Ukraine 26.98% 25.36% 29.46% 12.89% 3.37% 1.94%


Champions:

31.72% - Spain
23.54% - Netherlands
19.83% - Germany
5.35% - England
2.86% - Portugal
2.65% - Sweden
2.55% - Italy
2.33% - Croatia
1.94% - Ukraine
1.71% - France
1.58% - Russia
0.95% - Czech Republic
0.81% - Denmark
0.76% - Republic of Ireland
0.76% - Poland
0.66% - Greece

Losing finalists:

18.60% - Netherlands
17.85% - Spain
16.57% - Germany
7.67% - England
4.99% - Sweden
4.84% - Italy
4.56% - Croatia
4.47% - Portugal
3.59% - Russia
3.37% - Ukraine
3.19% - France
2.79% - Poland
2.23% - Czech Republic
2.05% - Greece
1.74% - Denmark
1.49% - Republic of Ireland

Losing semifinalists:

24.39% - Netherlands
22.59% - Germany
22.49% - Spain
16.57% - England
12.89% - Ukraine
12.49% - Italy
12.20% - Sweden
11.70% - Croatia
10.69% - Portugal
10.04% - Russia
9.51% - Poland
9.34% - France
7.34% - Czech Republic
6.88% - Greece
5.53% - Denmark
5.35% - Republic of Ireland

Losing quarterfinalists:

41.24% - Russia
40.39% - Poland
35.63% - Greece
34.36% - Czech Republic
33.72% - England
30.29% - Sweden
29.46% - Ukraine
24.66% - France
23.65% - Italy
23.62% - Croatia
20.69% - Spain
15.50% - Germany
14.98% - Netherlands
13.91% - Republic of Ireland
10.87% - Portugal
7.03% - Denmark

Third in group:

40.34% - Portugal
34.32% - Croatia
31.44% - Italy
28.67% - Republic of Ireland
27.72% - Denmark
27.41% - France
26.61% - Czech Republic
25.76% - Greece
25.53% - Sweden
25.36% - Ukraine
23.92% - Russia
23.71% - Poland
21.70% - England
18.45% - Germany
13.49% - Netherlands
5.57% - Spain

Fourth in group:

57.17% - Denmark
49.82% - Republic of Ireland
33.69% - France
30.77% - Portugal
29.02% - Greece
28.51% - Czech Republic
26.98% - Ukraine
25.03% - Italy
24.34% - Sweden
23.47% - Croatia
22.84% - Poland
19.63% - Russia
14.99% - England
7.06% - Germany
5.00% - Netherlands
1.68% - Spain

Eliminated in the group stage:

84.89% - Denmark
78.49% - Republic of Ireland
71.11% - Portugal
61.10% - France
57.79% - Croatia
56.47% - Italy
55.12% - Czech Republic
54.78% - Greece
52.34% - Ukraine
49.87% - Sweden
46.55% - Poland
43.55% - Russia
36.69% - England
25.51% - Germany
18.49% - Netherlands
7.25% - Spain

About me:

Christian, husband, father x 3, programmer, Romanian. Started the blog in March 2007. Quit in April 2018. You can find me on LinkedIn.

May 2012: FIFA Ranking vs. Elo Ratings

Top 10 differences for countries with a better Elo Rating:

Team - FIFA Ranking - Elo Rating - Difference

Solomon Islands 183 120 63
Syria 126 64 62
New Zealand 130 68 62
Fiji 160 118 42
Vanuatu 172 130 42
Mauritania 201 159 42
Bulgaria 96 56 40
Cyprus 133 96 37
Moldova 142 106 36
New Caledonia 155 119 36

Top 10 differences for countries with a better FIFA Ranking:

Team - FIFA Ranking - Elo Rating - Difference


Sierra Leone 61 126 -65
São Tomé e Príncipe 116 170 -54
Algeria 38 87 -49
Luxembourg 119 163 -44
Libya 46 86 -40
St. Kitts and Nevis 111 150 -39
Samoa 156 192 -36
Vietnam 97 132 -35
Bermuda 107 142 -35
Antigua and Barbuda 100 134 -34

Top 50 nations only (in the top 50 in at least one of the rankings)

Top 10 differences for countries with a better Elo Rating:

Team - FIFA Ranking - Elo Rating - Difference


Egypt 57 30 27
Poland 65 38 27
Ukraine 50 27 23
Iran 52 32 20
Cameroon 64 44 20
Costa Rica 59 43 16
Nigeria 63 48 15
Ecuador 37 23 14
Korea Republic 31 21 10
Israel 58 48 10

Top 10 differences for countries with a better FIFA Ranking:

Team - FIFA Ranking - Elo Rating - Difference


Algeria 38 87 -49
Libya 46 86 -40
Armenia 47 80 -33
Slovakia 34 64 -30
Gabon 42 72 -30
Slovenia 28 53 -25
El Salvador 49 70 -21
Mali 39 58 -19
Ghana 22 37 -15
Bosnia-Herzegovina 27 41 -14

Matches I would have liked to see before the next ranking:

Egypt - Slovakia
Poland - Algeria
Ukraine - Slovenia
Iran - Armenia
Cameroon - Sierra Leone
Costa Rica - Estonia
Nigeria - Libya
Ecuador - Bosnia-Herzegovina
Korea Republic - Wales
Israel - Gabon

About me:

Christian, husband, father x 3, programmer, Romanian. Started the blog in March 2007. Quit in April 2018. You can find me on LinkedIn.

My first guest post on another blog

FilipinoFootball asked me to write something about Philippines' FIFA ranking.

Just to add something:

A list of ideal opponents for the month of May (based on Elo Ratings), that would bring the Philippines at least 200 points for a win:

Sao Tome e Principe
Luxembourg
St. Kitts and Nevis
Bermuda
Faroe Islands
Antigua and Barbuda
Vietnam
Liechtenstein
Liberia
Equatorial Guinea

Taking into account distance:

Vietnam
Luxembourg
Sao Tome e Principe
Faroe Islands
Liechtenstein
Chad
Bermuda
Equatorial Guinea
St. Kitts and Nevis
Liberia

About me:

Christian, husband, father x 3, programmer, Romanian. Started the blog in March 2007. Quit in April 2018. You can find me on LinkedIn.

AFC like 3D TVs

Two days ago I was surprised to see a tweet from the official Twitter account of the Asian Football Confederation. It's deleted now (too bad I didn't make a screen shot), but here it is:

"Why Do You Want to Excite Your Senses with LG Cinema 3D Smart TV?"

It also contained a link to an advertorial on galvintan.com.

Somebody at AFC must really like LG :)

About me:

Christian, husband, father x 3, programmer, Romanian. Started the blog in March 2007. Quit in April 2018. You can find me on LinkedIn.

Friday, May 11, 2012

FIFA Ranking: June 2012 probable ranking

Probable results computed using the Elo Ratings. See the list of results used for this ranking.

The 2012 June ranking will be published on 6 June. The official deadline for matches is 31 May. However, in the article connected to the May FIFA Ranking it says:

The June edition will undoubtedly bring more movement with it, as friendlies are played in Europe to warm up for UEFA EURO 2012 and another batch of 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil™ qualifiers influence the calculations. 

The first qualifiers will take place on 1 June, after the official deadline, so for the June ranking I will use Sunday, 3 June 2012, as deadline for matches. Not sure if FIFA will do the same.

Spain's top spot in danger. And the danger is coming from... Uruguay. La Celeste will certainly climb to 2nd with a win against Venezuela on home ground and at least a draw against Russia in Moscow, but in order to grab the top spot they need to defeat Russia and also Spain to lose their 3 friendlies (Serbia, Korea Republic and China).

Portugal will drop at least 1 spot, even if they win their friendlies against Macedonia and Turkey.


Probable June 2012 rank - Team - Probable June 2012 points - +/- Ranking - +/- Points


1 Spain 1456 0 14
2 Uruguay 1341 1 32
3 Germany 1338 -1 -7
4 Netherlands 1262 0 55
5 Brazil 1184 1 19
6 Argentina 1147 3 71
7 England 1101 0 -31
8 Portugal 1074 -3 -116
9 Croatia 1053 -1 -61
10 Chile 995 3 27
11 Greece 984 3 23
12 Denmark 982 -2 -87
13 Italy 976 -1 -65
14 Russia 961 -3 -88
15 Côte d'Ivoire 948 0 -3
16 France 934 0 -4
17 Sweden 910 0 -21
18 Republic of Ireland 907 0 16
19 Mexico 858 1 -9
20 Switzerland 853 -2 -38
21 Australia 837 0 -25
22 Paraguay 831 3 30
23 Japan 822 7 69
24 Ghana 818 -2 2
25 Czech Republic 816 1 18
26 Norway 806 -2 1
27 Colombia 802 -4 -10
28 USA 767 1 -12
29 Bosnia-Herzegovina 756 -2 -36
30 Algeria 734 8 67
31 Korea Republic 719 0 -27
32 Slovenia 716 -4 -65
33 Turkey 713 0 -7
34 Serbia 703 -2 -22
35 Ecuador 699 2 20
36 Peru 688 0 -3
37 Mali 682 2 26
38 Hungary 677 -3 -15
39 Zambia 662 1 22
40 Wales 658 1 23
41 Slovakia 649 -7 -67
42 Gabon 612 0 -9
43 Scotland 611 5 15
43 Ukraine 611 7 22
45 Belgium 593 -1 -11
46 Tunisia 591 10 28
47 Venezuela 586 -4 -27
48 Armenia 579 -1 -19
49 Libya 578 -3 -24
50 Iran 576 2 1
51 Egypt 571 6 12
52 Jamaica 568 -1 -8
53 Montenegro 562 2 -7
54 El Salvador 561 -5 -30
55 Morocco 551 5 3
55 Sierra Leone 551 6 9
57 South Africa 550 10 50
58 Panama 547 -6 -28
59 Estonia 534 -5 -40
60 Uzbekistan 530 10 37
61 Romania 526 -16 -77
62 Honduras 525 0 -15
63 Cameroon 518 1 -8
63 Poland 518 2 4
65 Cape Verde Islands 517 11 68
66 Costa Rica 505 -7 -44
67 Haiti 499 4 13
68 Belarus 497 1 3
68 Nigeria 497 -5 -40
70 Guinea 487 -2 -12
71 China PR 486 -5 -22
72 Senegal 484 5 36
73 Austria 474 0 -1
74 Iraq 473 -2 -3
75 Canada 457 0 7
76 Burkina Faso 450 4 24
77 Angola 447 1 7
78 Latvia 436 -4 -29
79 Israel 427 -21 -131
79 Trinidad and Tobago 427 3 8
81 Jordan 422 0 2
82 Finland 403 -3 -27
83 Albania 398 1 14
84 Lithuania 385 5 12
85 Qatar 384 -1 0
86 Kuwait 383 0 7
87 Congo 379 4 13
88 Korea DPR 374 -2 -2
89 Guatemala 372 -6 -24
90 Saudi Arabia 369 -1 -4
91 Bahrain 359 3 -2
91 Georgia 359 4 -1
93 Oman 358 -1 -5
94 New Zealand 357 36 101
95 Zimbabwe 355 9 27
96 Togo 343 -8 -31
96 Vietnam 343 1 -4
98 Uganda 341 -5 -21
99 Northern Ireland 336 1 -2
100 Chad 332 15 43
100 Guyana 332 -1 -9
102 Antigua and Barbuda 330 -2 -8
103 Malawi 328 -1 -4
104 Bermuda 318 3 0
105 FYR Macedonia 317 -7 -25
106 Bolivia 312 2 4
107 Azerbaijan 309 2 4
108 Kenya 303 9 18
109 Botswana 300 -3 -21
110 Bulgaria 299 -14 -55
111 St. Kitts and Nevis 298 0 0
112 Equatorial Guinea 297 -9 -33
113 Sudan 291 0 -1
114 Rwanda 288 -9 -39
114 Sao Tome e Principe 288 2 0
116 Central African Republic 285 7 14
117 United Arab Emirates 284 3 3
118 Mozambique 283 -8 -17
119 Liberia 280 -7 -16
120 Faroe Islands 279 -2 -5
121 Gambia 277 -8 -15
122 Luxembourg 270 -3 -13
123 Cyprus 266 10 14
124 Syria 263 2 -5
125 Benin 261 -1 -8
126 Suriname 255 7 3
127 Tajikistan 254 4 -1
128 Niger 250 -6 -24
129 Burundi 248 -2 -19
130 Dominican Republic 247 5 0
131 Congo DR 243 -7 -26
132 Namibia 239 -12 -42
133 Belize 236 7 1
134 Thailand 234 7 2
135 Iceland 231 -4 -24
136 Ethiopia 220 2 -16
137 Tanzania 217 8 0
137 Turkmenistan 217 7 -3
139 Nicaragua 216 7 5
140 Puerto Rico 214 -2 -22
141 Moldova 212 1 -10
142 Grenada 210 1 -11
143 Kazakhstan 209 -6 -34
144 Cuba 197 -8 -47
145 St. Vincent and the Grenadines 196 2 5
146 Lebanon 195 -17 -65
147 Liechtenstein 177 -19 -84
148 New Caledonia 176 7 26
149 Malta 172 1 11
150 Malaysia 164 3 11
150 Nepal 164 -1 0
152 Bangladesh 159 0 3
153 Indonesia 158 -2 -1
154 Philippines 152 -6 -20
155 Palestine 148 -1 -3
156 Singapore 146 2 1
157 Yemen 141 0 -7
158 Curacao 137 1 -1
159 Bahamas 132 2 0
160 Hong Kong 129 1 -3
161 Madagascar 128 5 7
162 Vanuatu 126 10 23
163 Fiji 125 -3 -8
164 India 121 0 -1
165 Aruba 120 2 0
166 Lesotho 116 -3 -15
167 Chinese Taipei 115 1 -2
168 Tahiti 113 11 27
169 Maldives 112 -5 -10
170 Afghanistan 111 0 -4
170 Guinea-Bissau 111 -1 -5
172 Samoa 106 -16 -43
173 Solomon Islands 97 10 22
174 Laos 96 -1 0
175 Dominica 95 -1 0
176 Tonga 88 1 0
177 Barbados 87 -6 -19
177 Myanmar 87 -2 -7
179 Cambodia 86 -4 -8
179 Mongolia 86 -2 -2
179 Swaziland 86 0 0
182 Pakistan 82 -1 2
183 US Virgin Islands 78 -1 0
184 Cayman Islands 72 1 0
185 American Samoa 61 1 0
185 Sri Lanka 61 -1 -13
187 Comoros 54 0 -6
188 St. Lucia 52 0 0
189 Seychelles 48 0 1
190 Eritrea 45 0 0
191 Somalia 43 0 0
192 Mauritius 37 0 0
193 Papua New Guinea 34 0 0
194 Guam 32 0 0
195 Cook Islands 28 1 0
196 Kyrgyzstan 24 -1 -5
197 Djibouti 23 0 0
198 Macau 14 0 -2
199 British Virgin Islands 13 0 0
200 Anguilla 9 0 0
201 Brunei Darussalam 5 0 1
202 Mauritania 4 -1 0
203 Bhutan 2 -2 -2
203 Timor-Leste 2 1 0
205 Andorra 0 0 0
205 Montserrat 0 0 0
205 San Marino 0 0 0
205 Turks and Caicos Islands 0 0 0

About me:

Christian, husband, father x 3, programmer, Romanian. Started the blog in March 2007. Quit in April 2018. You can find me on LinkedIn.