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Friday, May 15, 2015

May 2015: Recommended friendly impact

The best opponent to play against is determined using a combination of Elo ratings and FIFA rankings. Let's look at the May 2015 FIFA ranking and we'll see the impact of one extra friendly. The difference in ranking is computed assuming all things remain equal, except the points of the given team and their recommended opponent.

The most popular opponent were Equatorial Guinea (62), followed by Northern Ireland (50) and American Samoa (31). Wales were close behind (28).



Of the top 20 teams, 4 would have gained points: Spain, Italy, Chile and Croatia, but only Spain and Italy would have climbed 1 spot.

Teams from the top 100 that would have gained the most (ranking-wise):

19 - Namibia
17 - Libya
11 - Bolivia

Equatorial Guinea would have been the recommended opponent for Namibia and Libya, while Bolivia would have benefited from a friendly against Northern Ireland.

Teams from the top 50 that would have gained the most (ranking-wise):

5 - Slovenia
4 - Egypt
3 - Nigeria, Serbia and Turkey

The recommended opponent for Serbia were Wales. The other teams should have played Northern Ireland.

Looking to improve your FIFA ranking? Use the e-mail address from my profile to contact me.

May Ranking - Team - Recommended opponent - Point difference - Rank difference


1 Germany Switzerland -25 0
2 Argentina Switzerland -21 0
3 Belgium Wales -27 0
4 Colombia Wales -17 0
5 Brazil Wales -15 0
6 Netherlands Wales -19 0
7 Portugal Wales -4 0
8 Uruguay Wales -4 0
9 Switzerland Wales -1 0
10 Spain Wales 6 1
11 France Wales -7 0
12 Romania Wales -18 -1
13 Italy Wales 1 1
14 England Wales 0 0
15 Costa Rica Wales -8 0
16 Chile Wales 2 0
17 Croatia Wales 1 0
18 Czech Republic Wales -1 0
19 Slovakia Wales -9 -2
20 Algeria Northern Ireland -4 -1
21 Wales Northern Ireland -15 -2
22 Mexico Wales 2 1
23 Côte d'Ivoire Northern Ireland -2 0
24 Greece Northern Ireland 8 2
25 Austria Northern Ireland -8 0
26 Ghana Northern Ireland -3 0
27 Russia Wales 11 2
28 USA Wales 9 2
29 Denmark Wales 13 0
30 Scotland Northern Ireland 12 1
31 Tunisia Northern Ireland -3 0
32 Bosnia-Herzegovina Northern Ireland 8 0
33 Ukraine Wales 22 2
34 Ecuador Wales 15 1
35 Poland Northern Ireland -4 -1
36 Senegal Northern Ireland -5 0
37 Cape Verde Islands Equatorial Guinea -5 0
38 Iceland Northern Ireland 3 0
39 Sweden Wales 19 0
40 Iran Northern Ireland 7 0
41 Guinea Northern Ireland 3 0
42 Northern Ireland Equatorial Guinea -12 -2
43 Hungary Northern Ireland 13 2
44 Serbia Wales 23 3
45 Nigeria Northern Ireland 6 3
46 Israel Northern Ireland 5 1
47 Slovenia Northern Ireland 19 5
48 Cameroon Northern Ireland 6 1
49 Congo Equatorial Guinea -5 0
50 Japan Wales 8 0
51 Egypt Northern Ireland 23 4
52 Turkey Northern Ireland 18 3
53 Panama Northern Ireland 16 1
54 Congo DR Equatorial Guinea -2 -1
55 Gabon Equatorial Guinea -2 0
56 Mali Northern Ireland 11 3
57 Albania Northern Ireland 13 4
57 Korea Republic Northern Ireland 7 1
59 South Africa Northern Ireland 7 0
60 Zambia Equatorial Guinea 4 1
61 Equatorial Guinea Faroe Islands -12 -1
62 Republic of Ireland Wales 22 3
63 Peru Wales 32 4
64 Australia Northern Ireland 9 1
65 Trinidad and Tobago Northern Ireland 16 2
66 Burkina Faso Northern Ireland 15 3
67 Bulgaria Northern Ireland 28 4
68 United Arab Emirates Northern Ireland 9 1
69 Venezuela Northern Ireland 36 5
70 Norway Northern Ireland 21 3
71 Uganda Equatorial Guinea 5 0
72 Uzbekistan Northern Ireland 14 1
73 Rwanda Equatorial Guinea -2 0
74 Jamaica Equatorial Guinea 8 1
75 Montenegro Northern Ireland 33 4
76 Honduras Northern Ireland 22 3
77 Armenia Northern Ireland 38 6
78 Finland Northern Ireland 33 6
79 Haiti Equatorial Guinea 18 4
80 Togo Equatorial Guinea 16 3
81 Paraguay Northern Ireland 32 3
82 China PR Northern Ireland 11 1
83 Belarus Northern Ireland 24 2
84 El Salvador Equatorial Guinea 16 1
85 Latvia Equatorial Guinea 14 2
86 Mozambique Equatorial Guinea 8 2
86 Iraq Equatorial Guinea 8 2
88 Sierra Leone Equatorial Guinea 24 5
89 Angola Equatorial Guinea 16 6
90 Guatemala Northern Ireland 19 6
90 Morocco Northern Ireland 30 7
92 Bolivia Northern Ireland 55 11
93 Estonia Equatorial Guinea 13 3
94 Benin Equatorial Guinea 24 5
95 Saudi Arabia Northern Ireland 19 3
96 Cyprus Equatorial Guinea 18 4
97 Malawi Equatorial Guinea 9 2
97 Oman Northern Ireland 18 4
99 Qatar Northern Ireland 14 4
100 Lithuania Equatorial Guinea 17 5
101 Ethiopia Equatorial Guinea 25 5
102 Faroe Islands Equatorial Guinea 19 3
103 Jordan Northern Ireland 27 7
104 Botswana Equatorial Guinea 13 3
105 FYR Macedonia Equatorial Guinea 30 9
106 Antigua and Barbuda Equatorial Guinea 11 5
107 Tanzania Equatorial Guinea 18 6
108 Bahrain Equatorial Guinea 15 4
109 Cuba Equatorial Guinea 29 8
110 St. Vincent and the Grenadines Faroe Islands 10 3
111 Sudan Equatorial Guinea 26 7
112 Libya Equatorial Guinea 71 17
112 St. Kitts and Nevis Faroe Islands 5 1
114 Namibia Equatorial Guinea 71 19
115 Canada Equatorial Guinea 22 7
116 Azerbaijan Equatorial Guinea 35 8
117 Kenya Equatorial Guinea 30 6
118 Dominican Republic Equatorial Guinea 24 6
119 Niger Equatorial Guinea 25 4
120 Moldova Equatorial Guinea 26 4
121 Lesotho Equatorial Guinea 15 3
122 Burundi Equatorial Guinea 40 7
123 Zimbabwe Equatorial Guinea 49 11
124 Vietnam Equatorial Guinea 26 5
125 Syria Equatorial Guinea 71 15
126 Kuwait Equatorial Guinea 15 4
127 Liechtenstein Faroe Islands 17 4
128 Bermuda Faroe Islands 54 12
129 Mauritania Faroe Islands 20 6
130 Barbados Faroe Islands 12 5
131 St. Lucia Faroe Islands 20 7
132 Liberia Equatorial Guinea 71 20
132 Guinea-Bissau Equatorial Guinea 71 20
134 Kazakhstan Equatorial Guinea 27 12
135 Afghanistan Faroe Islands 18 10
136 Aruba American Samoa 25 12
137 Luxembourg Faroe Islands 28 12
137 Philippines Equatorial Guinea 14 6
139 Georgia Equatorial Guinea 39 16
140 Maldives Aruba 6 1
141 Palestine Equatorial Guinea 13 4
142 Thailand Equatorial Guinea 18 5
143 Tajikistan Equatorial Guinea 44 15
144 Lebanon Equatorial Guinea 71 20
144 New Zealand Northern Ireland 66 20
144 Central African Republic Equatorial Guinea 71 20
147 India Aruba 33 7
148 Curaçao Aruba -6 -2
149 Malta Faroe Islands 30 7
150 Madagascar Faroe Islands 54 16
151 Timor-Leste American Samoa -1 0
152 Chad Equatorial Guinea 71 25
153 Kyrgyzstan Aruba 14 6
154 Nicaragua Aruba 10 3
155 Suriname Faroe Islands 54 15
156 Korea DPR Northern Ireland 40 13
157 Gambia Equatorial Guinea 71 22
158 Myanmar Aruba 5 1
159 Turkmenistan Equatorial Guinea 71 22
159 Indonesia Equatorial Guinea 26 9
159 Belize Faroe Islands 38 15
162 Singapore Faroe Islands 17 8
163 Guyana Faroe Islands 25 12
163 Bhutan American Samoa 25 12
165 Dominica American Samoa 5 0
166 Malaysia Faroe Islands 16 8
167 Puerto Rico Aruba 34 16
168 Yemen Faroe Islands 20 10
169 Hong Kong Faroe Islands 23 13
169 Bangladesh American Samoa 25 14
171 Grenada Faroe Islands 40 20
172 Montserrat American Samoa 26 14
173 Pakistan American Samoa 25 14
174 US Virgin Islands American Samoa 25 11
175 New Caledonia Equatorial Guinea 71 31
176 Guam American Samoa 9 3
176 Swaziland Faroe Islands 26 11
178 Laos American Samoa 7 0
179 Cambodia American Samoa 5 1
179 Chinese Taipei American Samoa 9 1
181 Nepal American Samoa 25 3
182 Brunei Darussalam American Samoa 10 1
183 Turks and Caicos Islands American Samoa 26 5
183 Macau American Samoa 10 2
185 Tahiti Equatorial Guinea 71 27
185 Comoros American Samoa 25 7
185 Mauritius Aruba 33 9
188 Sri Lanka American Samoa 13 7
189 Seychelles American Samoa 17 8
190 Sao Tome e Principe Aruba 33 12
191 Cayman Islands American Samoa 25 10
192 Solomon Islands Faroe Islands 54 16
193 South Sudan Faroe Islands 54 17
194 San Marino American Samoa 12 3
195 Vanuatu Faroe Islands 54 17
196 Fiji Equatorial Guinea 71 21
196 Samoa American Samoa 25 5
198 Bahamas American Samoa 26 7
198 British Virgin Islands American Samoa 15 4
200 Mongolia American Samoa 26 7
201 Tonga American Samoa 26 8
202 Papua New Guinea Faroe Islands 54 19
203 American Samoa Bhutan 26 8
204 Andorra American Samoa 23 8
204 Eritrea Aruba 33 10
206 Somalia American Samoa 25 10
207 Djibouti American Samoa 26 11
207 Cook Islands American Samoa 25 9
209 Anguilla American Samoa 21 9

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.

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