FIFA World Rankings: Belgium top, England fourth
FT Desk
- 16 Dec 2021 14:47 GMT
- 4 min read
Belgium remain on top of the FIFA World Rankings as they continue their dominance as the number one team on the planet.
Roberto Martinez’s men have been first in the FIFA Rankings for over three years and have stayed so in the latest December rankings.
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Brazil are second in the rankings, although they have closed the gap on Belgium.
France have moved up to third after emphatically winning their last two World Cup qualifiers 8-0 versus Kazakhstan and 2-0 versus Finland.
England are in fourth after scoring a sensational 15 goals in their last two matches against Albania and San Marino
Copa America winners Argentina complete the top five, while Euro 2020 winners Italy are in sixth.
| Rank | Nation | Total Points |
| 1. | Belgium | 1828.45 |
| 2. | Brazil | 1826.35 |
| 3. | France | 1786.15 |
| 4. | England | 1755.52 |
| 5. | Argentina | 1750.51 |
| 6 | Italy | 1740.77 |
| 7. | Spain | 1704.75 |
| 8. | Portugal | 1660.25 |
| 9. | Denmark | 1654.54 |
| 10. | Netherlands | 1653.72 |
| 11. | Germany | 1648.33 |
| 12. | USA | 1647.14 |
| 13. | Switzerland | 1642.83 |
| 14. | Mexico | 1638.76 |
| 15. | Croatia | 1620.74 |
| 16. | Colombia | 1607.15 |
| 17. | Uruguay | 1596.66 |
| 18. | Sweden | 1588.26 |
| 19. | Wales | 1578.01 |
| 20 | Senegal | 1561.68 |
For the full list of the FIFA Men's World Rankings, you can click here:
Who are the number one team in the world?
According to the FIFA World Rankings, Belgium are the best team in the world as they are ranked first.
However, many critics argue that a nation who have still not won a major title and were knocked out of the quarter-finals of Euro 2020, the semi-finals of World Cup 2018 and quarters of Euro 2016 should not be ranked on top.
What is England’s FIFA World Ranking?
England are currently ranked fourth in the FIFA World Rankings, as of December 2021, up one place from the previous month.
What is USA’s FIFA World Ranking?
The USMNT is currently ranked 12th in the FIFA Rankings, as of December 2021.
What are the FIFA World Rankings?
The FIFA world ranking (often referred to also as FIFA rankings) is a system used by world football’s governing body to rank all the 211 member associations that are recognised by FIFA.
It was introduced in December 1992 and there have since been eight nations who have topped the FIFA rankings since then; Brazil, Argentina, Italy, Germany, France, Spain, Netherlands and Belgium.
How often are the FIFA World Rankings?
FIFA Rankings are released every month, usually on a Thursday.
How are the FIFA World Rankings calculated?
In simple terms, senior national teams accrue points through competitive and official friendly matches.
More points are given depending on the importance of the match. FIFA World Cup finals’ matches provide the most points, followed by confederations’ final competition matches (i.e Euros, Copa America, Africa Cup of Nations), followed by Nations League matches and qualifiers for the World Cup and confederation tournaments. Friendlies receive the least points.
The result of the game also produces points, with a win getting the most reward, followed by a win after a penalty shootout, followed by a draw or a loss after a shootout, with a defeat earning zero.
A formula is then worked out using the above to produce the FIFA World Rankings.
