FIFA Home Page | FIFA Competitions
Substantial shifts on the lower rungs
B razil has once more come up trumps, capturing the FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking title "Team of the Year" again for 1995. The world champions booked only one defeat in 18 games - on penalties in the Copa America - thus achieving a comfortable lead of just seven points ahead of Germany and Italy, who switched places with Spain.
In 1995 Jamaica lost only five in a series of 18 matches. This feat not only propelled them in leaps and bounds forty rungs up the ranking ladder with a bonus of almost twenty points, but also pushed them ahead of Trinidad & Tobago (57th, up 34) and the Czech Republic (14th, up 20) in the "Mover of the Year" contest. The Brazilian and Jamaican associations will be presented with the awards at a gala event in Milan on 8 January 1996.
A further 83 encounters were evaluated for the annual ranking. The total number amounts to 581 which is about the same as last year and shows that for the first time in a year following a World Cup there was no slump in international activity. The world ranking includes 183 of the 193 FIFA member associations; Belize, Cambodia and Rwanda are newcomers.
Other noteworthy winners last month were the Netherlands, who won a berth at EURO 96 after a successful play-off (6th, up 4), Cote d'Ivoire (20th, up 8) as the best African squad, Zambia (25th, up 9) and, even more spectacularly, South Africa (40th, up 19). Perceptible progress was also made by quite a few teams from Central America and South East Asia due to successes in regional tournaments (Copa de Naciones in El Salvador and Sea Games in Thailand).
This means that since 1994 Africa (plus two), Europe (plus 1) and CONCACAF (plus 1) have slightly boosted their representation in the top 50 at the expense of Asia (minus 3) and CONMEBOL (minus 1). With Brazil, Mexico and Australia the best qualified teams in CONMEBOL, CONCACAF and Oceania have held their ground over the year. In the other confederations, Germany (1994: Spain), Cote d'Ivoire (1994: Nigeria) and Japan (1994: Saudi Arabia) have now asserted themselves.
- The next edition of the FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking will be published on 24 January 1996.
| RANKING AS OF 19 DECEMBER 1995 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RANK | TEAM | POINTS DEC. '95 |
RANK NOV. '95 |
CHANGE NOV-DEC '95 |
RANK END '94 |
CHANGE '94/'95 |
| 1 | Brazil | 68.49 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 2 | Germany | 61.77 | 2 | 0 | 5 | +3 |
| 3 | Italy | 61.10 | 4 | +1 | 4 | +1 |
| 4 | Spain | 59.12 | 3 | -1 | 2 | -2 |
| 5 | Russia | 58.76 | 5 | 0 | 13 | +8 |
| 6 | Netherlands | 57.35 | 10 | +4 | 6 | 0 |
| 7 | Argentina | 56.88 | 7 | 0 | 10 | +3 |
| 8 | France | 56.73 | 9 | +1 | 19 | +11 |
| 9 | Denmark | 56.43 | 8 | -1 | 14 | +5 |
| 10 | Norway | 55.74 | 6 | -4 | 8 | -2 |
| 11 | Romania | 55.10 | 12 | +1 | 11 | 0 |
| 12 | Mexico | 54.81 | 12 | 0 | 15 | +3 |
| 13 | Sweden | 54.79 | 11 | -2 | 3 | -10 |
| 14 | Czech Republic | 53.40 | 18 | +4 | 34 | +20 |
| 15 | Colombia | 53.29 | 17 | +2 | 17 | +2 |
| 16 | Portugal | 53.24 | 16 | 0 | 20 | +4 |
| 17 | Bulgaria | 53.02 | 14 | -3 | 16 | -1 |
| 18 | Switzerland | 52.11 | 15 | -3 | 7 | -11 |
| 19 | USA | 51.04 | 19 | 0 | 23 | +4 |
| 20 | Cote d'Ivoire | 48.98 | 28 | +8 | 25 | +5 |
| RANK | TEAM | POINTS DEC. '95 |
RANK NOV. '95 |
CHANGE NOV-DEC '95 |
RANK END '94 |
CHANGE '94/'95 |
| 21 | England | 48.86 | 20 | -1 | 18 | -3 |
| 22 | Tunisia | 48.26 | 22 | 0 | 30 | +8 |
| 23 | Egypt | 48.21 | 23 | 0 | 22 | -1 |
| 24 | Belgium | 47.99 | 26 | +2 | 24 | 0 |
| 25 | Zambia | 47.66 | 34 | +9 | 21 | -4 |
| 26 | Scotland | 47.63 | 25 | -1 | 32 | +6 |
| 27 | Nigeria | 47.44 | 24 | -3 | 12 | -15 |
| 28 | Ireland Republic | 47.32 | 21 | -7 | 9 | -19 |
| 29 | Ghana | 47.05 | 27 | -2 | 26 | -3 |
| 30 | Turkey | 46.26 | 31 | +1 | 48 | +18 |
| 31 | Japan | 45.34 | 32 | +1 | 36 | +5 |
| 32 | Uruguay | 44.56 | 30 | -2 | 37 | +5 |
| 33 | Poland | 43.95 | 33 | 0 | 29 | -4 |
| 34 | Greece | 43.83 | 29 | -5 | 28 | -6 |
| 35 | Slovakia | 43.80 | 35 | 0 | 43 | +8 |
| 36 | Chile | 42.34 | 36 | 0 | 47 | +11 |
| 37 | Cameroon | 41.80 | 43 | +6 | 31 | -6 |
| 38 | Morocco | 41.46 | 37 | -1 | 33 | -5 |
| 39 | Austria | 41.07 | 38 | -1 | 49 | +10 |
| 40 | South Africa | 40.79 | 59 | +19 | 56 | +16 |
| RANK | TEAM | POINTS DEC. '95 |
RANK NOV. '95 |
CHANGE NOV-DEC '95 |
RANK END '94 |
CHANGE '94/'95 |
| 41 | Croatia | 40.45 | 39 | -2 | 62 | +21 |
| 42 | Israel | 40.24 | 40 | -2 | 42 | 0 |
| 43 | Lithuania | 38.90 | 45 | +2 | 59 | +16 |
| 44 | Finland | 38.71 | 41 | -3 | 38 | -6 |
| 45 | Northern Ireland | 38.54 | 46 | +1 | 45 | 0 |
| 46 | Korea Republic | 38.44 | 44 | -2 | 35 | -11 |
| 47 | Senegal | 38.43 | 53 | +6 | 50 | +3 |
| 48 | Algeria | 38.39 | 47 | -1 | 57 | +9 |
| 49 | Honduras | 38.05 | 69 | +20 | 53 | +4 |
| 50 | Iceland | 37.90 | 48 | -2 | 39 | -11 |
| 51 | Australia | 37.56 | 49 | -2 | 58 | +7 |
| 52 | Mali | 37.50 | 52 | 0 | 52 | 0 |
| 53 | Bolivia | 37.43 | 50 | -3 | 44 | -9 |
| 54 | Saudi Arabia | 37.13 | 42 | -12 | 27 | -27 |
| 55 | Ecuador | 36.73 | 58 | +3 | 55 | 0 |
| 56 | Jamaica | 36.68 | 51 | -5 | 96 | +40 |
| 57 | Trinidad & Tobago | 36.60 | 55 | -2 | 91 | +34 |
| 58 | Sierra Leone | 36.33 | 68 | +10 | 76 | +18 |
| 59 | Zimbabwe | 36.00 | 61 | +2 | 51 | -8 |
| 60 | Latvia | 35.51 | 54 | -6 | 69 | +9 |
| RANK | TEAM | POINTS DEC. '95 |
RANK NOV. '95 |
CHANGE NOV-DEC '95 |
RANK END '94 |
CHANGE '94/'95 |
| 61 | Wales | 33.96 | 57 | -4 | 41 | -20 |
| 62 | Hungary | 33.57 | 60 | -2 | 61 | -1 |
| 63 | Guinea | 32.59 | 56 | -7 | 66 | +3 |
| 64 | Paraguay | 32.38 | 62 | -2 | 87 | +23 |
| 65 | Canada | 32.36 | 63 | -2 | 63 | -2 |
| 66 | China PR | 32.32 | 64 | -2 | 40 | -26 |
| 67 | Gabon | 31.91 | 65 | -2 | 64 | -3 |
| 68 | Zaire | 31.74 | 66 | -2 | 68 | 0 |
| 69 | Peru | 31.66 | 67 | -2 | 72 | +3 |
| 70 | Tanzania | 31.10 | 74 | +4 | 74 | +4 |
| 71 | Ukraine | 30.36 | 71 | 0 | 77 | +6 |
| Slovenia | 30.36 | 75 | +4 | 81 | +10 | |
| 73 | Cyprus | 29.54 | 70 | -3 | 67 | -6 |
| 74 | Uganda | 29.33 | 72 | -2 | 93 | +19 |
| 75 | United Arab Emirates | 28.47 | 73 | -2 | 46 | -29 |
| 76 | Mozambique | 27.93 | 78 | +2 | 94 | +18 |
| 77 | Thailand | 27.32 | 103 | +26 | 85 | +8 |
| 78 | Costa Rica | 27.14 | 76 | -2 | 65 | -13 |
| 79 | Georgia | 27.03 | 77 | -2 | 92 | +13 |
| 80 | Angola | 26.79 | 79 | -1 | 106 | +26 |
| RANK | TEAM | POINTS DEC. '95 |
RANK NOV. '95 |
CHANGE NOV-DEC '95 |
RANK END '94 |
CHANGE '94/'95 |
| 81 | Yugoslavia | 26.20 | 80 | -1 | 101 | +20 |
| 82 | El Salvador | 26.13 | 104 | +22 | 80 | -2 |
| 83 | Qatar | 24.94 | 81 | -2 | 60 | -23 |
| 84 | Kuwait | 24.10 | 82 | -2 | 54 | -30 |
| 85 | Mauritania | 24.07 | 99 | +14 | 137 | +52 |
| 86 | Sudan | 23.99 | 83 | -3 | 116 | +30 |
| 87 | Liberia | 23.70 | 84 | -3 | 127 | +40 |
| 88 | Belarus | 23.63 | 88 | 0 | 121 | +33 |
| 89 | Malawi | 22.92 | 85 | -4 | 82 | -7 |
| 90 | Malta | 22.53 | 89 | -1 | 78 | -12 |
| 91 | Albania | 21.81 | 87 | -4 | 100 | +9 |
| 92 | Togo | 21.80 | 86 | -6 | 86 | -6 |
| 93 | Niger | 21.70 | 92 | -1 | 70 | -23 |
| 94 | Macedonia | 21.64 | 90 | -4 | 90 | -4 |
| 95 | St. Vincent / Grenadines | 21.54 | 91 | -4 | 144 | +49 |
| 96 | Cuba | 21.17 | 93 | -3 | 172 | +76 |
| 97 | Uzbekistan | 20.68 | 94 | -3 | 78 | -19 |
| 98 | Oman | 20.57 | 95 | -3 | 71 | -27 |
| 99 | Bahrain | 20.51 | 96 | -3 | 73 | -26 |
| 100 | Luxemburg | 20.11 | 98 | -2 | 128 | +28 |
| RANK | TEAM | POINTS DEC. '95 |
RANK NOV. '95 |
CHANGE NOV-DEC '95 |
RANK END '94 |
CHANGE '94/'95 |
| 101 | Burkina Faso | 19.29 | 101 | 0 | 97 | -4 |
| 102 | New Zealand | 18.94 | 100 | -2 | 99 | -3 |
| 103 | Barbados | 18.57 | 102 | -1 | 107 | +4 |
| 104 | Singapore | 18.38 | 120 | +16 | 95 | -9 |
| 105 | Ethiopia | 18.29 | 108 | +3 | 115 | +10 |
| 106 | Malaysia | 17.64 | 117 | +11 | 89 | -17 |
| 107 | Kenya | 17.21 | 97 | -10 | 83 | -24 |
| 108 | Iran | 17.20 | 106 | -2 | 75 | -33 |
| 109 | Moldova | 17.19 | 107 | -2 | 118 | +9 |
| 110 | Iraq | 17.00 | 105 | -5 | 88 | -22 |
| 111 | Hong Kong | 16.89 | 109 | -2 | 98 | -13 |
| 112 | Gambia | 16.19 | 118 | +6 | 117 | +5 |
| 113 | Armenia | 16.02 | 112 | -1 | 141 | +28 |
| 114 | St. Lucia | 15.86 | 111 | -3 | 157 | +43 |
| 115 | Myanmar | 15.63 | 138 | +23 | 124 | +9 |
| 116 | Namibia | 15.36 | 113 | -3 | 123 | +7 |
| 117 | Korea DPR | 15.32 | 110 | -7 | 84 | -33 |
| 118 | Guinea-Bissau | 15.09 | 139 | +21 | 122 | +4 |
| 119 | Congo | 15.07 | 114 | -5 | 114 | -5 |
| 120 | Faroe Islands | 14.66 | 116 | -4 | 133 | +13 |
| RANK | TEAM | POINTS DEC. '95 |
RANK NOV. '95 |
CHANGE NOV-DEC '95 |
RANK END '94 |
CHANGE '94/'95 |
| 121 | India | 14.51 | 115 | -6 | 109 | -12 |
| 122 | Vietnam | 13.59 | 156 | +34 | 151 | +29 |
| 123 | Yemen | 12.73 | 119 | -4 | 103 | -20 |
| 124 | Surinam | 12.67 | 122 | -2 | 104 | -20 |
| 125 | Neth. Antilles | 12.50 | 121 | -4 | 152 | +27 |
| 126 | Panama | 12.36 | 141 | +15 | 140 | +14 |
| 127 | Venezuela | 12.15 | 123 | -4 | 110 | -17 |
| 128 | Puerto Rico | 11.84 | 124 | -4 | 112 | -16 |
| 129 | Estonia | 11.59 | 126 | -3 | 119 | -10 |
| 130 | Indonesia | 11.46 | 152 | +22 | 134 | +4 |
| 131 | Cayman | 11.34 | 127 | -4 | 150 | +19 |
| 132 | Madagascar | 11.28 | 125 | -7 | 111 | -21 |
| 133 | Turkmenistan | 11.27 | 128 | -5 | 108 | -25 |
| 134 | Lebanon | 11.19 | 145 | +11 | 129 | -5 |
| 135 | Sri Lanka | 11.09 | 129 | -6 | 139 | +4 |
| 136 | Syria | 10.18 | 130 | -6 | 105 | -31 |
| 137 | Antigua | 9.54 | 135 | -2 | 136 | -1 |
| 138 | Bangladesh | 9.45 | 132 | -6 | 130 | -8 |
| 139 | Fiji | 9.35 | 133 | -6 | 120 | -19 |
| 140 | Bermuda | 9.24 | 131 | -9 | 102 | -38 |
| RANK | TEAM | POINTS DEC. '95 |
RANK NOV. '95 |
CHANGE NOV-DEC '95 |
RANK END '94 |
CHANGE '94/'95 |
| 141 | Azerbaijan | 9.11 | 135 | -6 | 147 | +6 |
| Grenada | 9.11 | 137 | -4 | 142 | +1 | |
| 143 | Jordan | 8.87 | 134 | -9 | 113 | -30 |
| 144 | Cape Verde Islands | 8.84 | 166 | +22 | 161 | +17 |
| 145 | Guatemala | 8.54 | 163 | +18 | 149 | +4 |
| 146 | Burundi | 8.33 | 140 | -6 | 126 | -20 |
| 147 | Nepal | 8.05 | 144 | -3 | 138 | -9 |
| 148 | Swaziland | 7.91 | 143 | -5 | 125 | -23 |
| 149 | Lesotho | 7.65 | 147 | -2 | 135 | -14 |
| 150 | St. Kitts & Nevis | 7.61 | 146 | -4 | 175 | +25 |
| 151 | San Marino | 7.35 | 142 | -9 | 131 | -20 |
| 152 | Laos | 7.28 | 164 | +12 | 160 | +8 |
| 153 | Haiti | 7.13 | 148 | -5 | 132 | -21 |
| 154 | Mauritius | 6.49 | 149 | -5 | 146 | -8 |
| 155 | Botswana | 6.27 | 150 | -5 | 145 | -10 |
| 156 | Tahiti | 5.83 | 157 | +1 | 148 | -8 |
| 157 | Liechtenstein | 5.76 | 151 | -6 | 156 | -1 |
| 158 | Dominica | 5.53 | 161 | +3 | new 1995 | |
| 159 | Dominican Republic | 5.21 | 153 | -6 | 164 | +5 |
| 160 | Pakistan | 4.59 | 154 | -6 | 158 | -2 |
| RANK | TEAM | POINTS DEC. '95 |
RANK NOV. '95 |
CHANGE NOV-DEC '95 |
RANK END '94 |
CHANGE '94/'95 |
| 161 | Benin | 4.39 | 155 | -6 | 143 | -18 |
| 162 | Guyana | 3.02 | 158 | -4 | 154 | -8 |
| 163 | Kazakhstan | 2.97 | 159 | -4 | 153 | -10 |
| 164 | Tajikistan | 2.69 | 162 | -2 | 155 | -9 |
| 165 | Somalia | 2.41 | 160 | -5 | 159 | -6 |
| 166 | Philippines | 2.20 | 176 | +10 | 171 | +5 |
| 167 | Brunei | 1.84 | 172 | +5 | 165 | -2 |
| 168 | Rwanda | 1.81 | new November 1995 | |||
| 169 | Maldives Republic | 1.38 | 165 | -4 | 162 | -7 |
| 170 | Solomon Islands | 1.20 | 167 | -3 | 163 | -7 |
| 171 | Aruba | 1.00 | 168 | -3 | 173 | +2 |
| 172 | Kyrgyzstan | 0.70 | 169 | -3 | 166 | -6 |
| 173 | Belize | 0.68 | new November 1995 | |||
| 174 | Nicaragua | 0.55 | 170 | -4 | 168 | -6 |
| 175 | Libya | 0.52 | 171 | -4 | 167 | -8 |
| 176 | Seychelles | 0.46 | 173 | -3 | 175 | -1 |
| 177 | Djibouti | 0.34 | 174 | -3 | 169 | -8 |
| 178 | Chinese Taipei | 0.11 | 175 | -3 | 170 | -8 |
| 179 | Vanuatu | 0.03 | 177 | -2 | 172 | -7 |
| 180 | Chad | 0.00 | 178 | -2 | 175 | -5 |
| Macao | 0.00 | 178 | -2 | 175 | -5 | |
| Central Africa | 0.00 | 178 | -2 | 174 | -6 | |
| Cambodia | 0.00 | new November 1995 | ||||
Note: Teams inactive since 1989 and teams which have not played yet do not appear in the table.
FIFA Home Page | FIFA Competitions