World Ranking

[Charlie Darwin]

So you reckon the FA police the thoughts and public speech of former employees? I'm sure there are many in the FA who do want to get out of FIFA (I'm guessing most of them are still ****y about not being able to bribe their way to hosting the World Cup) but Bernstein does not represent them any more than Trapattoni represents the Irish football team. Once you're out of the job you're a private citizen with your own mind and your own opinions on things.

[ArdeeBhoy]

Clearly you have no idea how politics(of sports) works....
Anyway, The Eng.FA/Bernstein et al are still flying a worthwhile kite, nothing will come of it, but every seed of doubt re.FIFA /UEFA is a good thing IMO.

But everyone's obsessed by rankings, so who cares what they do otherwise...
:roll:

[Charlie Darwin]

Yes, Ardee, I don't have a clue about anything but you have the politics of sport all figured out.

[davidatrb]

I think I have it figured out. So long as no more friendlies are arranged. And noting that FIFA have not yet confirmed Jul 2015 rankings will determine pots, but they usually have been determined this way in recent past. And of course there is no static target, austria are currently 18th (UEFA team) with 810 fifa ranking points but by July 2015 the 18th placed team could have more or less points.

Its pretty simple.

We already have 214 rankings points in the bag for matches that would count toward July 2015 seeding ie matches from July 2011 to July 2014. The average from July 2014-2015 is all thats left to be decided.

Option 1
Win next three home games = Pot 2 (this would give us a total of about 5033 pts from July 2014 to Jul 2015 so average = 629 + 214 (already in the bag) = 823 total which is more than 18th placed european team at mo (austria))

Option 2
Beat either Poland or Scotland at home and screw up the rest of the games (or some other combination of results that gives us another roughly 1158 more pts) = Pot 3 (this would give us about total 3288 pts which is average 411 + 214 (already in the bag) = 625 which is more than 27th placed european team at mo (israel))

We are kind of lucky that German game and Poland away fall after July, the WC2018 draw qualifying will be in July.

http://fog2014.blogspot.ie/2014/11/significant-friendly-win.html

[ArdeeBhoy]

Yes, Ardee, I don't have a clue about anything but you have the politics of sport all figured out.

Except I didn't say that!

[paul_oshea]

Fair enough. I think most of us who live in the real world know it's the easiest thing in the world for somebody with no power and no skin in the game to propose something completely implausible than even he knows can't and won't happen.

No way. We landed on the moon! CD lives in the real world!

That's just too much for me to take in for one day.

[Duggie]

so did that win do much for us last night??????????????

[Closed Account]

Currently up to 60th in the World but that could change after the Africans play tonight
Unchanged in Uefa World Cup Seedings (33rd, groups of 9)



Pot 1
Pot 2
Pot 3
Pot 4
Pot 5


Germany
Romania

Russia
Serbia
Armenia


Belgium
Czech Republic

Israel

Northern Ireland

Estonia


Netherlands
Croatia

Iceland

Turkey

Cyprus


France
Slovakia

Wales

Albania

Lithuania



Portugal
Austria

Scotland
Montenegro

Latvia



Spain
Greece

Poland

Republic of Ireland
Belarus



Italy
Ukraine

Sweden

Bulgaria

Macedonia



Switzerland
Bosnia and Herzegovina

Hungary

Norway




England
Denmark

Slovenia

Finland

[davidatrb]

Currently up to 60th in the World but that could change after the Africans play tonight
Unchanged in Uefa World Cup Seedings (33rd, groups of 9)



Pot 1
Pot 2
Pot 3
Pot 4
Pot 5


Germany
Romania

Russia
Serbia
Armenia


Belgium
Czech Republic

Israel

Northern Ireland

Estonia


Netherlands
Croatia

Iceland

Turkey

Cyprus


France
Slovakia

Wales

Albania

Lithuania



Portugal
Austria

Scotland
Montenegro

Latvia



Spain
Greece

Poland

Republic of Ireland
Belarus



Italy
Ukraine

Sweden

Bulgaria

Macedonia



Switzerland
Bosnia and Herzegovina

Hungary

Norway




England
Denmark

Slovenia

Finland





If you are talking about pots then you should look at it from the perspective of July 2015 rankings. Here are estimated points so far for that point in time (by then WC2014 will have a weighting of 0.5 so Netherlands will really suffer, France also suffering from not playing competitive games, I can see both these ending up in Pot 2 by July).

Obviously alot of games to play but I think at this stage enough games played in July 2014-July 2015 period for the averages to start to settle. Imagine Leichtenstein in Pot 5? wouldnt it be nice to get them and San Marino in the same group!

Pot 1
1 UEFA Germany 1306
2 UEFA Romania 1262.5
3 UEFA England 1253.3
4 UEFA Czech Republic 1236.9
5 UEFA Italy 1155.5
6 UEFA Portugal 1136.9
7 UEFA Belgium 1125.6
8 UEFA Slovakia 1091.1
9 UEFA Austria 1028.4

Pot 2
10 UEFA Iceland 996.7
11 UEFA France 989.1
12 UEFA Spain 988.6
13 UEFA Croatia 966.6
14 UEFA Netherlands 938.1
15 UEFA Switzerland 896
16 UEFA Ukraine 873.4
17 UEFA Denmark 858.9
18 UEFA Scotland 788.6

Pot 3
19 UEFA Poland 786.8
**** 20 UEFA Russia 766.5
21 UEFA Wales 765.9
22 UEFA Northern Ireland 762.3
23 UEFA Slovenia 739.1
24 UEFA Albania 729.1
25 UEFA Israel 703.7
26 UEFA Hungary 693.8
27 UEFA Bosnia and Herzegovina 681.2
28 UEFA Sweden 657


Pot 4
29 UEFA Republic of Ireland 640.2
30 UEFA Serbia 628
31 UEFA Greece 617.3
32 UEFA Turkey 554.3
33 UEFA Norway 551.9
34 UEFA Montenegro 495.6
35 UEFA Estonia 469.2
36 UEFA Cyprus 435.8
37 UEFA Finland 435.2

Pot 5
38 UEFA Bulgaria 424.7
39 UEFA Lithuania 404.9
40 UEFA Armenia 396.5
41 UEFA Latvia 380
42 UEFA Belarus 322.8
43 UEFA FYR Macedonia 317.7
44 UEFA Faroe Islands 284.4
45 UEFA Moldova 240.8
46 UEFA Liechtenstein 232.2

Pot 6
47 UEFA Azerbaijan 226.6
48 UEFA Kazakhstan 204.6
49 UEFA Luxembourg 198.4
50 UEFA Malta 153.7
51 UEFA Georgia 142.2
52 UEFA San Marino 55.4
53 UEFA Andorra 8.5

[BonnieShels]

So... Slovakia, Iceland, FATDAD, Liechtenstein and San Marino... That would be amazing. Truly amazing.

[geysir]

So... Slovakia, Iceland, FATDAD, Liechtenstein and San Marino... That would be amazing. Truly amazing.

You can enjoy indulging in your fantasies, meanwhile I can enjoy the reality of the prediction (while it lasts) that Iceland are to be a hair's breadth from pot 1, ahead of such luminaries as Spain, France and Netherlands.

[Charlie Darwin]

Drawing Iceland wouldn't be worth having to listen to geysir pontificate even more loudly about the superior total football of Iceland for two years or more.

[paul_oshea]

Ah I enjoy geysir pontificating, gives him something to feel good and right about, especially on those long lonely Iclelandic nights, from his cold dark and dank room.

[DannyInvincible]

Start a new body.

You start it and we will join. :p

[ArdeeBhoy]

You're my Legal Director then.

Even GR makes more sense than Bl*tter FFS...

[BonnieShels]

Drawing Iceland wouldn't be worth having to listen to geysir pontificate even more loudly about the superior total football of Iceland for two years or more.

I dunno I would like to see his loyalties split.

[geysir]

Split loyalties? I'd just go with the winner.
I have at all time endevoured (sometimes failing) to express myself with modesty and humility and would never ever want
to rub it in, even when all that was stated for ever and a day, has come to pass and has emerged as undeniable truths.
It does trouble me, though with a greatly diminishing effect, to read and hear of the 7 years of plagues with Kerr and Stan, 7 years of the pestilence of hoofball with Trap and now, 7 years of darkness.

[BonnieShels]

And then the 7 years of light. Natural progression.

[DannyInvincible]

The latest update sees us remain in 61st: http://thescore.thejournal.ie/ireland-fifa-rankings-2014-1802509-Nov2014/

[davidatrb]

Not really about Ireland. But Netherlands got a bit of a boost with the announcement of the release dates for next year.

Basically FIFA are probably going to base the pots on the July Ranking. The release date for this is 9th, so Netherlands and Germany will have the advantage that some of their World Cup matches (which are weighted at 4 times points) will count 100%. Everyone elses World Cup matches ranking points will only count at 50% because they happened before 9th July 2014.

http://fog2014.blogspot.ie/2014/12/fifas-big-favour-for-netherlands.html

http://www.football-rankings.info/2014/12/2018-world-cup-should-fifa-postpone.html

[DannyInvincible]

Down to 65th, as of today's update: http://www.goal.com/en-ie/news/3942/ireland/2015/01/08/7772492/ireland-down-one-place-in-fifa-ranking


The Boys in Green have continued their decline in the first update of 2015, while Northern Ireland have gone up one place

Republic of Ireland have dropped one place to 65th in the latest Fifa ranking table, which was updated on January 8.

The update sees the Boys in Green continue their slide down the ranking, having dropped three places in December.

Martin O'Neill's team are now ranked behind Gabon, who have risen three places, as well as Togo and Burkina Faso. They sit just ahead of European counterparts Bulgaria and Norway.

Northern Ireland, meanwhile, have risen one position in the table to 47th, having dropped one place last month, and sit above Turkey.

The top 45 places remain unchanged, with Ireland's Euro 2016 qualifying rivals Germany still ranked first, ahead of Argentina, who are second, and Colombia, who are third.

Scotland, who defeated O'Neill's men at Celtic Park in November, remain in place at 36th, while Poland are unchanged at 41st.

The next update to the ranking table will be announced on February 12.

[Fixer82]

Gabon out of that. Time for MonKeano Togo.

i'll get my coat....:(

[nigel-harps1954]

Down to 67th today.

http://balls.ie/football/231234-new-few-world-rankings-make-grim-reading-for-ireland/

[BonnieShels]

Be grand.

[DannyInvincible]

Emmet Malone fears this will see us in the fourth pot for the World Cup 2018 qualifying draw: http://www.irishtimes.com/sport/soccer/international/ireland-s-world-cup-prospects-will-be-hit-by-lastest-fifa-rankings-1.2102137


Ireland are now 67th, dangerously close to their lowest-ever ranking of 70th, which they hit last July. More worrying is the fact that Ireland are 33rd in Europe and unless Fifa spring a major surprise between now and the summer by changing the way the seedings for the World Cup qualifiers are laid out, that means James McCarthy and co will almost certainly be in Pot Four when their route to Russia is laid out at the Konstantinovsky Palace in St Petersburg on July 25th.

The qualifying system has yet to be formally decided but with the same number of nations (13) to qualify out of Europe, there is no particular reason to believe Fifa will see fit to move away from the structure employed in 2010 and 2014, when nine group winners progressed along with four from play-offs.

Assuming they stick with the system and with Russia qualifying automatically as hosts, Ireland lie five places off 28th, the minimum European ranking that they would have to achieve in order to make it into the third tier of seeds.

[Stuttgart88]

It'll still all depend on the draw. Some countries are untouchable, others are elevated due to historic results they can't achieve today, others are better today than their rankings suggest and others are just right. If Ibrahimovic retires next year are Sweden still a solid second seeded team?

I've always felt that if you take away Europe's top 8 or 10 teams on any given day a result can go either way - except Ireland whose media tells us we're a bunch of second rate English Premier League non-entities who are second favourites even if we're playing a team drawn from lesser leagues anywhere.

We're clearly not a firm second seeded team, but there isn't much between some 3rd and some 5th seeded teams.

[Gather round]

Some countries are untouchable, others are elevated due to historic results they can't achieve today, others are better today than their rankings suggest and others are just right

Are you sure about 'historic results'? In FIFA's ranking system, qualifiers from September 2012 are weighted at only 30% (contrast 100% in UEFA's).

[DeLorean]

Get in there!! (http://www.the42.ie/ireland-world-rankings-66th-1988487-Mar2015/)

[CraftyToePoke]

Get in there!! (http://www.the42.ie/ireland-world-rankings-66th-1988487-Mar2015/)

Less is more, less is more :)

[davidatrb]

Emmet Malone fears this will see us in the fourth pot for the World Cup 2018 qualifying draw: http://www.irishtimes.com/sport/soccer/international/ireland-s-world-cup-prospects-will-be-hit-by-lastest-fifa-rankings-1.2102137

In July I figure Ireland will have something between 480 and 847 points (depending on our next 3 home games Poland, England and Scotland) which on current rankings would leave us placed between 18th (Pot 2) and 36th (Pot 4) UEFA team.

[davidatrb]

That disappointing result leaves us with a max possible of about 748 pts in July (about 24th in UEFA) and min of about 529 pts (about 34th in UEFA).

The cut off for Pot 2 will be about 780/800 pts (18th or 19th .. depending on Russia's rank) Pot 3 will be above about 680 pts (28th) and Pot 4 will probably be above about 430 pts.

Pot 3 or 4 makes no real difference. Really its not worth following any more, the dream of Pot 2 is over. We had a great chance with 3 home games to put up a high ranking score.

These are the weighted points already earned for previous 3 periods.
To July 2012 78.975
To July 2013 76.97376923
To July 2014 58.195


These are the points earned for this period to July 2015, when the seeding will be announced based on that months ranking. I've been optimistic with the England and Scotland results below. (The formatting is poor so attaching a pic of this table below too).

Date Team Rnk M I T C M*I*T*C=P
03/09/2014 Oman 67 3 1 133 0.92 367.08
07/09/2014 Georgia 95 3 2.5 105 0.99 779.625
14/10/2014 Germany 1 1 2.5 200 0.99 495
14/11/2014 Scotland 37 0 2.5 163 0.99 0
18/11/2014 USA 23 3 1 177 0.92 488.52
29/03/2015 Poland 40 1 2.5 160 0.99 396
.. still to play ..
07/06/2015 England 15 3 1 185 0.99 549.45
17/06/2015 Scotland 38 3 2.5 162 0.99 1202.85
Total 4278.525
Average 534.815625

Add four year weighted averages together 78.975 + 76.97376923 + 58.195 + 534.815625 will give the max of about 748. Could nearly stretch it to 760 points if England climb to rank 3 and scotland climb to rank 30 before we play them, which even then look like not enough for Pot 2.

2248

[davidatrb]

Just to add though, it looks like Romania could be in Pot 1 (maybe even 2nd best team in the world by July 2015?!). Also N. Ireland and Poland could be Pot 2. So still possible to get a favourable draw whatever Pot we are in. Not questioning Romania's ability, just saying I'd prefer to get them over Germany, Spain, France, England etc.

[Bungle]

I was looking at it last night. We could get a relatively brilliant draw but equally a very hard one like Germany, Portugal and Ukraine in our group as the top three teams.The brilliant draw would probably still be 2-3 teams better than us in a group, as we are a pot 4 quality side, but if we had a fighting chance and a good start to the campaign, we can dream!!!

The big problem for the world cup is that Europe gets such a small number of teams relative to it's quality, so even if we come second, we go straight into a play-off where we could end up playing really top sides.

[paul_oshea]

I am a bit annoyed with Oneills attitude and blatant disregard with respect to these rankings and fixtures. 13 games in and a year and half later he is still talking about competitive games, and bar Germany(result wise) we haven't won any or changed our rankings(drastically), which in turn makes it more difficult as you will keep getting harder/more difficult teams in the next groups. It also shows a bit of a lack of appreciation for continuation. If O'Neill leaves Ireland and the next man comes in, he could be in a terrible situation. Still if we qualify for the Euro's I think most would forget and forgive about this.

To think Northern Ireland and Wales are likely to qualify and we aren't, there is something seriously wrong there. It could have been a great Euros with all the Home Nations and Ireland. We definitely won't be having that now.

[Bungle]

I am a bit annoyed with Oneills attitude and blatant disregard with respect to these rankings and fixtures. 13 games in and a year and half later he is still talking about competitive games, and bar Germany we haven't won any or changed or rankings, which in turn makes it more difficult as you will keep getting harder more difficult teams in the next groups. It also shows a bit of a lack of appreciation for continuation. If O'Neill leaves Ireland and the next man comes in, he could be in a terrible situation. Still if we qualify for the Euro's I think most would forget and forgive about this.

To think Northern Ireland and Wales are likely to qualify and we aren't, there is something seriously wrong there. It could have been a great Euros with all the Home Nations and Ireland. We definitely won't be having that now.

That's a big point - between the FAI and MON, a concerted effort should have been made to play teams that are above us, but who we had a decent shout of beating. The USA friendly was a well thought out one and even the Costa Rica one wasn't a bad idea on paper. I'd have been getting the likes of Cape Verde and Algeria to Dublin in a stadium one third full if it meant that we got up to being third seeds and gave us a shot at second seeds.

[paul_oshea]

Short sightedness on behalf of the FAI, they are caught between a rock and a hard place with bringing in money for games, but they should be balancing that well with the fixtures to help improve our standing.

[Metrostars]

Good article on how Switzerland plays few friendlies to help themselves in the rankings:

https://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/blogs/pitchside/switzerland-really-better-italy-fifa-insane-ranking-system-144405289.html

[SkStu]

To think Northern Ireland and Wales are likely to qualify and we aren't, there is something seriously wrong there. It could have been a great Euros with all the Home Nations and Ireland. We definitely won't be having that now.

to that point, then, is it that we "don't have the players"? I hear this line from every second person and I just don't buy it. I never have. Sure we don't have the same players we had in the 90's or the one-two world class players that we used to but arguably our pool of top flight players is quite rich and certainly better than Northern Ireland and at least on a par with or similar to Wales and Scotland. Yet they are all looking more likely to qualify.

It is about mentality and confidence of our players if you ask me. They are scared sh1tless of fcking up which means, invariably, they majorly fck up from time to time. The reason they are scared I believe is the shift in media and public support since 2002 from 100% support to divisiveness and contempt for players coupled with outlandish expectations for what success looks like for a small nation as ours.

I think MON is the mon to take us back to believing. We (the collective fans and media) need to give him time and 100% vocal support from the terraces and tabloids.

[geysir]

Good article on how Switzerland plays few friendlies to help themselves in the rankings:

https://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/blogs/pitchside/switzerland-really-better-italy-fifa-insane-ranking-system-144405289.html

That article is from 2013 and Switzerland did beat Brazil in a friendly:) One could argue this way or that way about the merits of the seeding system, but when it came to the World Cup finals, Italy were poor and Switzerland overall were less poor. The answer to that article's question was that Switzerland were marginally better than Italy, at that given time in the rankings and it was not disproved later at the WC.

[SwanVsDalton]

I am a bit annoyed with Oneills attitude and blatant disregard with respect to these rankings and fixtures. 13 games in and a year and half later he is still talking about competitive games, and bar Germany(result wise) we haven't won any or changed our rankings(drastically), which in turn makes it more difficult as you will keep getting harder/more difficult teams in the next groups. It also shows a bit of a lack of appreciation for continuation. If O'Neill leaves Ireland and the next man comes in, he could be in a terrible situation. Still if we qualify for the Euro's I think most would forget and forgive about this.

To think Northern Ireland and Wales are likely to qualify and we aren't, there is something seriously wrong there. It could have been a great Euros with all the Home Nations and Ireland. We definitely won't be having that now.

Is that blatant disregard or someone who wants to explore his playing options as much as possible?

I mean, back to aul Trap - for four years out of six we had a fairly good record in all games, including friendlies. We had a record breaking number of clean sheets. We didn't win a competitive game of note, but confidence grew and players believed they were hard to beat. And we were hard to beat.

The trade off? 442, two banks of four, long balls and a fairly consistent group of players, with a few wild-cards like Greg Cunningham, Cillian Morrison etc and non-stop debate over whether that was a good thing or not.

I agree with your point about ranking, but I don't think O'Neill disregards friendlies, I think he just knows he has to look at players and systems. I can live with that if it pays off competitively (and it hasn't yet) but it's not an easy task.

I have a certain amount of sympathy with O'Neill's task - Trap just had to get us getting results and hard to beat. O'Neill has to do that AND erase the ghost of Trap by getting us playing, and all with the usual turnover of players between campaigns.

[Charlie Darwin]

Is that blatant disregard or someone who wants to explore his playing options as much as possible?

I mean, back to aul Trap - for four years out of six we had a fairly good record in all games, including friendlies. We had a record breaking number of clean sheets. We didn't win a competitive game of note, but confidence grew and players believed they were hard to beat. And we were hard to beat.

The trade off? 442, two banks of four, long balls and a fairly consistent group of players, with a few wild-cards like Greg Cunningham, Cillian Morrison etc and non-stop debate over whether that was a good thing or not.

I agree with your point about ranking, but I don't think O'Neill disregards friendlies, I think he just knows he has to look at players and systems. I can live with that if it pays off competitively (and it hasn't yet) but it's not an easy task.

I have a certain amount of sympathy with O'Neill's task - Trap just had to get us getting results and hard to beat. O'Neill has to do that AND erase the ghost of Trap by getting us playing, and all with the usual turnover of players between campaigns.
Ah here, he doesn't even get his game for Derry :)

[davidatrb]

That article is from 2013 and Switzerland did beat Brazil in a friendly:) One could argue this way or that way about the merits of the seeding system, but when it came to the World Cup finals, Italy were poor and Switzerland overall were less poor. The answer to that article's question was that Switzerland were marginally better than Italy, at that given time in the rankings and it was not disproved later at the WC.

It was actually a blunder that put SWI ahead of ITA in the rankings imo. The rankings are full of holes and "miscalculations".

Norway were awarded the wrong points for a friendly against South Africa. The knock on effect was that they were ranked above Czech instead of below Czech. Italy played Czech and Swiss played Norway. Both won but Swiss got more points than they should (as a consequence of the strength of opposition) and Italy got less points than they should have.

I messaged the guy that runs football-rankings.info about this and he has seen many "miscalculations". They obviously have some sort of butterfly effect, so its hard to tell the full impact ....

http://fog2014.blogspot.ie/2014/07/world-cup-seeding-blunder.html

Discussion on it from rankings blog - see comments.

http://www.football-rankings.info/2013/12/world-cup-draw-seeding-all-teams.html

[geysir]

Whether it was a blunder or not is besides the point, subsequent world cup performance did not disprove Switzerland's borderline elevated status as seeds, ahead of Italy.

However, how Norway were nr1 seeds for the 2014 WC qual draw, is worthy of a thesis which no doubt would shatter FIFA ranking table credibility.h

[davidatrb]

Whether it was a blunder or not is besides the point, subsequent world cup performance did not disprove Switzerland's borderline elevated status as seeds, ahead of Italy.

However, how Norway were nr1 seeds for the 2014 WC qual draw, is worthy of a thesis which no doubt would shatter FIFA ranking table credibility.h

I checked back there. Norway had a lot of good results in 2010/2011 in the lead up to the seedings in July. They beat Denmark(28), Cyprus(43), Portugal(8) and Iceland(79) in UEFA qualifiers. They also beat Ireland(32) and France(21) in friendlies. They earned it.

If France had won that friendly with Norway then it would have been France seeded instead of Norway. It was the first friendly game after the 2010 World Cup for France and they totally dropped the entire squad that embarrassed them in S. Africa WC2010, with the new manager handing out 6 debuts. Norway came from 1 goal down and won 2-1 at home.

Norway got alot of ranking points for beating Cyprus, apparently Cyprus (boosted by a draw against Portugal and a win against Bulgaria) were 43rd in the world when Norway beat them. It all helped push Norway into the seeds in July 2011.

[geysir]

Then Norway would be a prime example of 'faking it' to boost their rankings and holding a ranking position that was way ahead of their actual football talent. They rose from 60th to 12th in two years, in good time to be first seeds for the 2014 world cup qual draw. And despite getting a dream wc qual group, their ineptitude was finally proven and exposed as they slid further back down the ranking table, altogether from 12th place to 70th.
Switzerland might have gained a place or two above their station, but they still hold a top ranking. In contrast, Norway managed a 48 place leap upwards and next day start the slow 58 place slide down to 70th

[Gather round]

FIFA European rankings 2014-15

Team April* August Change
Germany 1 1 0
Belgium 2 3 1
Netherlands 3 2 -1
Portugal 4 7 3
Switzerland 5 5 0
Spain 6 4 -2
France 7 6 -1
Romania 8 16 8
Italy 9 9 0
England 10 12 2

Croatia 11 10 -1
Czechia 12 22 10
Slovakia 13 27 14
Wales 14 26 12
Greece 15 8 -7
Austria 16 25 9
Denmark 17 15 -2
Scotland 18 17 -1
Bosnia 19 11 -8

Russia 20 14 -6
Ukraine 21 13 -8
Poland 22 32 10
Iceland 23 28 5
Sweden 24 18 -6
Ultonia 25 41 16
Hungary 26 21 -5
Serbia 27 19 -8
Israel 28 34 6

Slovenia 29 24 -5
Turkey 30 20 -10
Albania 31 35 4
Ireland 32 33 1
Montenegro 33 29 -4
Bulgaria 34 36 2
Norway 35 30 -5
Armenia 36 23 -13
Finland 37 31 -6

Belarus 38 39 1
Latvia 39 44 5
Estonia 40 40 0
Cyprus 41 48 7
Lithuania 42 45 3
Faeroes 43 51 8
Macedonia 44 38 -6
Azerbaijan 45 37 -8
Moldova 46 43 -3

Liechtenstein 47 50 3
Kazakhstan 48 47 -1
Luxembourg 49 46 -3
Georgia 50 42 -8
Malta 51 49 -2
San Marino 52 53 1
Andorra 53 52 -1
Gibraltar 54 54 0

* provisional

Source:

http://www.fifa.com/worldranking/rankingtable/

[paul_oshea]

Cheers Bill.

[Gather round]

My pleasure. We could well be in the same pot after the June games.

[paul_oshea]

Look at Wales, bloody hell. How are we below albania? Although they beat Armenia and we thought we were great for doing that...

[jbyrne]

Look at Wales, bloody hell. How are we below albania? Although they beat Armenia and we thought we were great for doing that...

didn't Albania beat Portugal 1-0 at the start of this campaign?
they drew with Denmark also