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World Ranking

Since F.I.F.A. introduced the World Ranking in mid-1993, teams have been able to know at any one time where they stand in the world’s football hierarchy and how much progress they have been making. A special computer programme produces a monthly table of the teams of all active member associations.  The Ranking is especially valuable for giving the smaller federations, who have little prospect of reaching the finals of the World Cup or their continental championship, a realistic assessment of their comparative worth, as well as provoking widespread media interest.

The best-ranked team of the year, as well as the team which has made the most progress up the table, are both rewarded with trophies at the end of the year, thus ensuring that not only the major teams such as Brazil and Germany take home the prizes but also smaller ones….

In January 1999, the World Ranking’s method of evaluating results was slightly modified. The revisions focused primarily on adjusting the relevant time frames, the weight of various categories of match, and the differing regional strength factors.