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Sunday, December 19, 2021

FIFA ranking: December 2021 final preview

FIFA will publish the December ranking next Thursday December 23rd. This final preview contains 59 matches, out of 59 matches played since November 17th. 

Only today's final matches in group B of the South East Asian Championship 2021 (Malaysia-Indonesia and Vietnam-Cambodia) are to be played and included:


MAS

IDN

pts

pos

pts

pos

Malaysia win

1039,53

153

987,31

165

Malaysia draw

1037,03

153

989,81

165

Malaysia loss

1034,53

154

992,31

164

VIE

CAM

pts

pos

pts

pos

Vietnam win

1212,54

98

966,61

171

Vietnam draw

1210,04

98

969,11

170

Vietnam loss

1207,54

100

971,61

170


Elo predicts a Malaysia draw and a Vietnam win.


NT football year 2021 is concluded with this December ranking. A small recap of the year.


Belgium still clings on to top spot but is likely to lose it to Brazil once the January 2022 qualifiers in South America are finished.


Best movers in positions in 2021: 

Canada +32 to 40

Equatorial Guinea +20 to 114

Saudi Arabia +16 to 51


Worst movers in positions in 2021:

Venezuela -31 to 59

Chinese Taipei -20 to 158

Iceland -16 to 62

Faroe Islands -16 to 123

Central African Republic -16 to 130


Best movers in points in 2021: 

Canada +130 to 1462

Italy +116 to 1741

Argentina +109 to 1751


Worst movers in points in 2021:

Venezuela -92 to 1409

Chinese Taipei -60 to 1018

Iceland -53 to 1385


For the December ranking:


No team ends the year on a personal high or low note.


Best movers:

3 - Algeria, Qatar, Thailand


Worst movers:

-4 - Myanmar

-3 - Saudi Arabia

-2 - Philippines, Tanzania, Laos, Timor-Leste


Best movers in the top 50:

3 - Algeria, Qatar

1 - USA


Worst movers in the top 50:

-1 - Germany, Tunisia, Austria, Czech Republic


Stay safe and healthy everybody !


pos Dec

team

pts Dec

+/- pos

+/- pts

1

Belgium

1828,45

0

0

2

Brazil

1826,35

0

0

3

France

1786,15

0

0

4

England

1755,52

0

0

5

Argentina

1750,51

0

0

6

Italy

1740,77

0

0

7

Spain

1704,75

0

0

8

Portugal

1660,25

0

0

9

Denmark

1654,54

0

0

10

Netherlands

1653,73

0

0

11

USA

1648,51

1

1,37

12

Germany

1648,33

-1

0

13

Switzerland

1642,83

0

0

14

Mexico

1638,30

0

-0,46

15

Croatia

1620,74

0

0

16

Colombia

1607,15

0

0

17

Uruguay

1596,66

0

0

18

Sweden

1588,26

0

0

19

Wales

1578,01

0

0

20

Senegal

1561,68

0

0

21

Iran

1557,58

0

0

22

Peru

1551,15

0

0

23

Serbia

1547,38

0

0

24

Chile

1543,42

0

2,09

25

Ukraine

1535,08

0

0

26

Japan

1531,53

0

0

27

Poland

1530,62

0

0

28

Morocco

1529,93

0

4,43

29

Algeria

1516,51

3

7,97

30

Tunisia

1512,72

-1

0,59

31

Austria

1511,56

-1

0

32

Czech Republic

1510,42

-1

0

33

Korea Republic

1507,24

0

0

34

Russia

1493,42

0

0

35

Australia

1484,88

0

0

36

Nigeria

1478,78

0

0

37

Turkey

1472,72

0

0

38

Scotland

1471,82

0

0

39

Hungary

1465,62

0

0

40

Canada

1462,32

0

0

41

Norway

1455,43

0

0

42

Slovakia

1455,36

0

0

43

Paraguay

1454,52

0

0

44

Romania

1453,18

0

0

45

Egypt

1451,77

0

2,26

46

Ecuador

1448,27

0

-0,47

47

Republic of Ireland

1444,29

0

0

48

Qatar

1437,91

3

6,90

49

Costa Rica

1437,43

0

0

50

Cameroon

1437,35

0

0

51

Saudi Arabia

1434,71

-3

-6,46

52

Ghana

1428,97

0

0

53

Mali

1427,98

0

0

54

Northern Ireland

1424,97

0

0

55

Greece

1421,99

0

0

56

Cote d'Ivoire

1417,86

0

0

57

Jamaica

1412,13

0

0

58

Finland

1411,77

0

0

59

Venezuela

1409,14

0

0

60

Burkina Faso

1397,64

0

0

61

Bosnia-Herzegovina

1391,19

0

-1,37

62

Iceland

1385,21

0

0

63

Panama

1379,34

0

0

64

Congo DR

1375,64

0

0

65

Slovenia

1375,42

0

0

66

Albania

1374,98

0

0

67

North Macedonia

1367,23

0

0

68

South Africa

1358,24

0

0

69

United Arab Emirates

1350,39

1

-0,02

70

El Salvador

1349,47

-1

-1,16

71

Bulgaria

1345,47

0

0

72

Montenegro

1342,89

0

0

73

Cape Verde Islands

1339,48

0

0

74

China PR

1337,33

0

0

75

Iraq

1333,03

0

-2,55

76

Honduras

1332,16

0

0

77

Bolivia

1324,21

0

0

78

Israel

1306,70

1

0

79

Oman

1306,01

-1

-1,08

80

Curacao

1298,39

0

0

81

Guinea

1298,32

0

0

82

Uganda

1287,01

0

1,73

83

Benin

1282,53

0

0

84

Uzbekistan

1274,58

0

0

85

Georgia

1269,24

1

0

86

Syria

1268,54

-1

-1,42

87

Haiti

1268,05

0

0

88

Zambia

1264,64

0

0

89

Gabon

1262,00

0

0

90

Jordan

1255,69

1

2,74

91

Bahrain

1252,19

-1

-3,56

92

Armenia

1242,24

0

0

93

Luxembourg

1236,45

0

0

94

Belarus

1233,43

1

0

95

Lebanon

1233,00

-1

-0,76

96

Kyrgyzstan

1228,69

0

0

97

Congo

1221,40

0

0

98

Vietnam

1212,54

1

3,32

99

Palestine

1208,90

-1

-2,42

100

Trinidad and Tobago

1207,94

0

0

101

Madagascar

1205,61

0

0

102

Kenya

1202,26

0

0

103

Mauritania

1190,26

0

0,03

104

India

1182,75

0

0

105

Cyprus

1178,65

0

0

106

Guinea-Bissau

1177,14

0

0

107

Estonia

1176,50

0

0

108

Sierra Leone

1174,12

0

0

109

Korea DPR

1169,96

0

0

110

New Zealand

1165,81

0

0

111

Kosovo

1163,05

0

0

112

Namibia

1162,93

0

0

113

Niger

1158,39

0

0

114

Equatorial Guinea

1156,78

0

0

115

Thailand

1156,16

3

7,53

116

Tajikistan

1152,56

-1

0

117

Libya

1151,06

-1

0

118

Mozambique

1151,01

-1

0

119

Kazakhstan

1140,71

0

0

120

Azerbaijan

1139,02

0

0

121

Zimbabwe

1138,44

0

0

122

Guatemala

1138,40

0

0

123

Faroe Islands

1136,99

0

0

124

Togo

1133,24

1

0

125

Sudan

1131,74

-1

-4,15

126

Angola

1131,72

1

0

127

Antigua and Barbuda

1131,08

1

0

128

Philippines

1129,91

-2

-2,02

129

Malawi

1127,21

0

0

130

Central African Republic

1127,20

0

0

131

Comoros

1117,65

1

0

132

Turkmenistan

1117,60

1

0

133

Tanzania

1117,03

-2

-1,73

134

Latvia

1100,03

0

0

135

Rwanda

1095,34

0

0

136

Lithuania

1091,77

0

0

137

Ethiopia

1087,89

0

0

138

St. Kitts and Nevis

1077,76

0

0

139

Suriname

1077,57

0

0

140

Burundi

1075,82

0

0

141

Solomon Islands

1072,78

0

0

142

Kuwait

1064,02

0

0

143

Nicaragua

1062,21

0

0

144

Liberia

1058,28

0

0

145

Lesotho

1057,62

0

0

146

Eswatini

1054,14

0

0

147

Hong Kong

1053,39

0

0

148

Botswana

1051,59

1

0

149

Afghanistan

1049,77

1

0

150

Gambia

1049,74

1

0

151

Yemen

1046,26

1

0

152

Myanmar

1044,56

-4

-8,01

153

Malaysia

1037,03

1

2,16

154

New Caledonia

1035,12

-1

0

155

Andorra

1030,28

0

0

156

Dominican Republic

1029,42

0

0

157

Maldives

1021,58

0

0

158

Chinese Taipei

1017,78

0

0

159

Tahiti

1014,27

0

0

160

Singapore

1003,39

0

5,97

161

Fiji

996,27

0

0

162

Barbados

995,94

0

0

163

Vanuatu

995,62

0

0

164

Papua New Guinea

990,55

0

0

165

Indonesia

989,81

1

8,63

166

Bermuda

982,43

-1

0

167

South Sudan

980,25

0

0

168

Grenada

974,03

0

0

169

Nepal

972,45

0

0

170

Belize

967,42

1

0

171

Cambodia

966,61

-1

-3,81

172

Mauritius

964,94

0

0

173

Puerto Rico

962,77

0

0

174

St. Vincent and the Grenadines

960,71

0

0

175

Malta

958,95

0

0

176

Guyana

958,87

0

0

177

St. Lucia

953,45

0

0

178

Montserrat

950,71

0

0

179

Cuba

948,96

0

0

180

Chad

935,00

0

0

181

Moldova

928,35

0

0

182

Macau

922,10

0

0

183

Dominica

916,72

0

0

184

Mongolia

916,68

0

0

185

Bhutan

910,96

1

0

186

Bangladesh

907,83

1

0

187

Laos

904,60

-2

-7,47

188

Brunei Darussalam

903,90

0

0

189

Sao Tomé e Príncipe

903,31

0

0

190

American Samoa

900,27

0

0

191

Liechtenstein

899,52

0

0

192

Djibouti

896,62

0

0

193

Samoa

894,26

0

0

194

Somalia

873,71

1

0

195

Cayman Islands

873,64

1

0

196

Timor-Leste

873,13

-2

-6,30

197

Seychelles

870,63

0

1,12

198

Pakistan

866,81

0

0

199

Tonga

861,81

0

0

200

Aruba

859,97

0

0

201

Bahamas

858,50

0

0

202

Eritrea

855,56

0

0

203

Gibraltar

853,60

0

0

204

Sri Lanka

842,93

0

0,13

205

Turks and Caicos Islands

839,84

0

0

206

Guam

838,33

0

0

207

US Virgin Islands

816,13

0

0

208

British Virgin Islands

812,94

0

0

209

Anguilla

792,34

0

0

210

San Marino

780,33

0

0


About me:

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23 comments:

  1. Hello. How matches against the Cook Islands will be calculated, as if they had 0 points (because they are unranked), or not?

    ReplyDelete
  2. The Cook Islands are indeed unranked now but they will start their first match since September 2015 in the OFC qualification in March 2022 with 908 points.
    It's the tally they had when they were taken out of the ranking in September 2019 after 4 years of not playing a match.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Hi Ed, so ranking points from the double legged semis in Suzuki Cup - played from Wednesday to Sunday coming week - will be added to the January ranking?

    Btw, whats the next cutoff date of world ranking? - at the end of January, I guess.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Yes, the semis and finals will be included in the next ranking.

    FIFA has not yet published the ranking schedule for next year. I expect no ranking in January because that whole month a continental final is played. So I guess the next ranking is published only after the AFCON 2022 is completed with the final on Sunday February 6th: Thursday February 10th at the earliest.

    ReplyDelete
  5. I just read on FIFA.com the following three publishing dates for the men's ranking in 2022:
    February 2022 on Thursday 10 Feb 2022
    April 2022 on Thursday 31 Mar 2022
    June 2022 on Thursday 23 Jun 2022

    The first one confirms my expectations :)
    The second one indicates that, as expected, a new ranking is compiled one day before the World Cup Final draw on April 1st, probably including all matches in the March window, so up until and including March 30th.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. thanks Ed, do you have a link from FIFA.com to those dates? I can't seem to find the link you read that on

      Delete
    2. yes of course, here you can find the dates for the first half of 2022.

      Delete
    3. thanks, I see it at the very bottom. I should've looked more closely before I bothered you, I was checking their media releases mostly DOH

      Delete
  6. Thx Ed, - do you know why FIFA have excluded test match Tanzania-Uganda 9 Dec 2021 from the ranks?

    ReplyDelete
  7. Indeed, the match Tanzania - Uganda was excluded by FIFA and included by me.

    I see Uganda used 7 substitutes in that friendly. That's probably the reason to exclude this match from the ranking calculation.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Thx again, Ed.... - next question(s). :-)

    According to the international match calendar only Africa Cup of Nations is listed in January except WC qualifiers from Monday 24 Jan.

    Is the match weight in African friendlies in January 10?
    Is the match weight in African friendlies today and tomorrow 5?
    What is the match weight in Gambia-Syria Wednesday 5 Jan?

    ReplyDelete
  9. FIFA introduced an (extra) match window from January 24th to February 1st for all confederations except UEFA. CONCACAF may extend that period with one day to February 2nd for their extra match day in the octagonal qualifiers.

    That means that only friendlies played inside this window are calculated with I=10 and all other friendlies played outside this window in December, January or February are calculated with I=5.

    Currently there are 5 friendlies scheduled in this period with AFC, CAF and OFC teams involved.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Ed, will the PSO-rule about ranking calculations be used in UEFA WC playoffs in March?

      You know.... - "half a win" for a PSO victory, which actually is a deduction in ranking points of one quarter of the match weight for the winning team....

      (I'm still pursuing 7th spot for Denmark ahead og WC draw .... :-)

      Delete
    2. This rule is valid for each match that ends in a penalty shoot-out, so it can (and probably shall) be used in the UEFA WC play-offs in March.
      Because there will be two single leg semi-finals and a final per path, each match has to get a winner, be it in regular or after extra time or, if the teams are still level after extra time, decided in a PSO.

      It's not quite right to state that it's a quarter deduction for the winner. Yeah, compared to the points after a straight win. But because the match ends in a PSO the result of the match is officially a draw, so each team gets half the points of a straight win. And the winner of the PSO receives on top of that another quarter of that amount.

      Finally, because both Italy and Portugal are in the same play-off path, only a maximum of one of them can qualify, so the 8th spot in the March/April ranking is already enough to guarantee a pot 1 seeding.

      Delete
    3. Well.... - host nation Qatar has a pot 1 seeding, right?

      Therefore 7th spot must be the ultimate goal.

      And my apologies for lack of preciseness regarding "a quarter deduction".... - I missed out on your "compared to the points after a straight win". So, actually we agree.... :-)

      Delete
    4. Otherwise we are talking past each other here. :-)

      According to world ranks a 7th spot is needed to achieve pot 1 seed at the draw April 3rd as Qatar currently is 49th.

      Delete
    5. You are right, if Italy (a sure top 6 ranked team in April) qualifies then the composition of pot 1 will be Qatar, Brazil, Belgium, France, England, Argentina, Italy and Spain. Then the team on ranking spot 8 will always be in pot 2, if qualified. Only if Italy does not qualify then ranking spot 8 becomes the last 'pot 1 spot'.
      So spot 8 is surely not yet a 'guarantee for pot 1'.

      Delete
    6. Thx, Ed.... - I should have added "7th spot amongst qualified nations". :-)

      Its a fact that two of many conditions for 7th spot for Denmark is that both Italy and Portugal must fail to qualify for World Cup.

      Portugal will with to PSO wins in UEFA PO's achieve close 10 ranking points. Denmark will with two ordinary wins in the March window against Netherlands(!) and Serbia achieve about 9 ranking points.

      And thats not enough to pass Portugal, unfortunately.

      Delete
    7. Latest simulations (after the November window) showed then that only Italy, Portugal, USA and Mexico were contenders for the final pot 1 spot.
      Once the complete UEFA friendly schedule for March is set I will make new simulations and we will see if Denmark can join that group. For that indeed at least both Italy and Portugal should not qualify. In November that event had a 2,01% chance to happen.

      Delete
    8. Hm, with a second look I see that Denmark in November already had a 0,65% pot 1 chance.

      Delete
  10. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Hi Ed,
    Is too early to simulate the 4 pots for the world cup draw?
    Does a 35 ranked team have a chance to be in pot 3?

    ReplyDelete
  12. Hi Hassan, a post on the latest simulations will follow this week after the January window is completed. Current projections show that Korea Republic (currently spot 29 in the ranking) is right on the edge between pot 3 and 4.
    So there's certainly a chance for a spot 35 team to end up in pot 3, but it wouldn't be more than a few percent I guess.

    ReplyDelete