If someone has recently tried to get you to jump aboard the FIFA bandwagon then today will make you think again. Since 2005, soccer’s world governing body has refined its system in an attempt to make the sport’s world rankings more accurate. Needless to say, today’s release has showed that FIFA still retain the bonehead tag that they’ve tried to shake off for many years.
There’s no problem with the top of the leader board. Spain quite rightly holds top spot as world champions. Second place are fellow finalists, the Netherlands. Then in the bronze medal position sits the motherland, Germany, a side that also made the last four of the last summer’s World Cup. This is where it starts to get interesting though.
Next up is a nation that hasn’t reached a major semi final in 15 years and even then it was on home soil. One sole honor all time and in the last World Cup they bowed out at the first knockout stage. Ladies and gentlemen I present you the world’s fourth best team…ENGLAND.
We would point to the country’s current qualifying record but they’ve drawn two of the games and haven’t looked particularly convincing. Then again this is FIFA and maybe they’re finally making an attempt to pacify the English? Who knows.
The rankings as they stand are as follows:
1 Spain (May’s position: 1st)
2 Holland (2nd)
3 Germany (4th)
4 England (6th)
5 Brazil (3rd)
6 Italy (9th)
7 Portugal (8th)
8 Croatia (10th)
9 Mexico (28th)
10 Argentina (5th)
In the meantime we’re going to try and get to the bottom of why England have got so far up in those rankings. Maybe they offered a Calvin Ayre inspired party for all FIFA delegates. Sepp and his mates have to party at some time after all.
