World Football Ranking     
2001

Current Rankings


Pos.
Country
 Total Points
2001
Points gained
2001
Move
2001
1    Portugal 16.82 0.58 2
2    France 16.63 -0.96 1
3    England 16.07 2.22 16
4    Holland 15.93 0.46 6
5    Argentina 15.9 0.4 4
6    Sweden 15.84 2.54 25
7    Denmark 15.69 2.45 27
8    Germany 15.65 0.73 8
9    Colombia 15.6 2 17
10    Spain 15.59 0.91 9
11    Mexico 15.4 2.09 23
12    Uruguay 15.3 1.89 20
13    Belgium 15.21 1.66 18
14    Slovenia 15.08 1.85 28
15    Italy 15.06 -0.43 5
16    Rep Ireland 15.04 0.39 10
17    Turkey 14.97 1.8 29
18    Russia 14.97 0.62 12
19    Finland 14.93 2.27 34
20    Brazil 14.81 -0.9 3
21    Japan 14.72 0.56 14
22    Costa Rica 14.55 3.5 60
23    Croatia 14.29 0.89 21
24    Ecuador 14.23 1.76 38
25    Yugoslavia 14.22 0.03 13
26    South Korea 13.79 1.45 41
27    Romania 13.73 0.43 24
28    Venezuela 13.48 3.5 72
29    Ukraine 13.38 0.02 22
30    Norway 13.37 0.62 32
31    Australia 13.26 1.59 51
32    Poland 13.26 0.54 33
33    Czech Rep 13.12 -1.42 11
34    Iran 13.09 1.5 52
35    Georgia 13.08 1.01 44
36    Cameroon 12.89 -1.25 15
37    Nigeria 12.82 2.19 67
38    Greece 12.78 0.18 36
39    Honduras 12.78 -0.14 31
40    Tunisia 12.74 1.93 64
41    USA 12.74 0.16 37
42    N.Ireland 12.73 2.44 69
43    Paraguay 12.7 -2.29 7
44    Slovakia 12.63 -0.62 26
45    Scotland 12.52 -0.5 30
46    Belarus 12.49 1.41 59
47    Israel 12.39 0.01 40
48    Senegal 12.34 3.04 83
49    Bolivia 12.31 0.24 45
50    Wales 12.28 0.82 54
51    Switzerland 12.28 -1.21 19
52    Peru 12.13 0.32 48
53    Chile 12.03 -0.21 42
54    Iceland 12.01 -0.06 46
55    Saudi Arabia 11.97 0.17 49
56    Albania 11.81 -0.36 43
57    Hungary 11.77 -0.09 47
58    Bulgaria 11.67 -0.74 39
59    Austria 11.66 -0.96 35
60    China 11.64 0.31 55
61    Trinidad & Tobago 11.35 -0.13 53
62    Jamaica 11.23 0.31 62
63    Bosnia-Herzegovina 11.04 -0.29 56
64    Egypt 10.89 -0.42 57
65    Cyprus 10.85 0.09 65
66    Lithuania 10.77 2.1 98
67    Togo 10.75 1.44 82
68    Armenia 10.72 -0.1 63
69    Algeria 10.58 0.87 76
70    Bahrain 10.5 4.26 132
71    South Africa 10.47 -1.23 50
72    Angola 10.46 1.48 87
73    Latvia 10.41 0.57 73
74    Morocco 10.39 0.9 79
75    Zambia 10.38 2.11 104
76    Oman 10.37 3.81 127
77    Ghana 10.33 0.92 80
78    Zimbabwe 10.32 1.56 96
79    Ivory Coast 10.31 0.54 75
80    Liberia 10.29 1.47 94
81    Iraq 10.25 0.18 71
82    El Salvador 10.24 1.21 86
83    Guatemala 10.2 -0.88 58
84    Azerbaijan 10.08 2.25 110
85    Gabon 10.06 1.18 92
86    Uzbekistan 10.05 1.56 102
87    Canada 10.04 0.25 74
88    Moldova 9.72 -0.78 68
89    Macedonia 9.61 -1.06 66
90    Qatar 9.57 -0.6 70
91    Malta 9.55 0.66 90
92    Faroe Islands 9.54 0.99 100
93    Estonia 9.52 -0.11 78
94    Burkina Faso 9.39 0.49 89
95    Thailand 9.22 0.25 88
96    Mali 9.15 0.04 85
97    UAE 9.15 -0.19 81
98    Syria 9.13 -0.06 84
99    Sudan 9.08 2.51 125
100    Kazakhstan 9.06 0.68 103
101    Kuwait 9 -1.96 61
102    Haiti 8.9 0.78 107
103    Guinea 8.65 -0.99 77
104    DR Congo 8.56 0.06 101
105    North Korea 8.55 2.27 131
106    Cuba 8.53 -0.27 95
107    Lebanon 8.43 0.55 109
108    Ethiopia 8.18 0.71 115
109    Kenya 8.04 1.25 122
110    Congo 7.97 -0.76 97
111    Luxembourg 7.95 -0.21 106
112    Libya 7.94 0.13 111
113    Panama 7.93 -0.65 99
114    Martinique 7.82 4 157
115    Andorra 7.63 0.72 120
116    Turkmenistan 7.6 1.78 137
117    Mauritius 7.57 0.99 124
118    Burundi 7.53 1.14 129
119    St Kitts & Nevis 7.51 2.54 145
120    Uganda 7.45 -0.81 105
121    Jordan 7.41 -1.41 93
122    Madagascar 7.4 -1.48 91
123    Tanzania 7.39 1.56 136
124    Indonesia 7.32 -0.34 112
125    Gambia 7.29 1 130
126    New Zealand 7.24 -0.87 108
127    Lesotho 7.18 0.25 119
128    Sierra Leone 7.17 0.18 118
129    Central African Rep 7.09 -0.5 113
130    Rwanda 7.02 0.19 121
131    Benin 6.99 0.42 126
132    Malawi 6.86 0.95 135
133    Tajikistan 6.5 -0.5 117
134    Swaziland 6.2 2.34 156
135    Mozambique 6.17 0.79 141
136    Equatorial Guinea 6.15 -0.5 123
137    Eritrea 6.13 0.11 133
138    Malaysia 6.12 0.56 139
139    Barbados 6.04 -1.1 116
140    Namibia 6.04 -1.52 114
141    Cape Verde Islands 5.93 0.55 140
142    Hong Kong 5.87 0.23 138
143    Palestine 5.83 0.72 143
144    Guinea Bissau 5.8 1.51 153
145    Grenada 5.8 1.24 149
146    Singapore 5.77 0.74 144
147    Vietnam 5.64 -0.34 134
148    Kyrgyzstan 5.59 1.21 151
149    Botswana 5.43 0.7 147
150    Liechtenstein 5.28 0.81 150
151    St Lucia 5.21 0.36 146
152    Surinam 5.13 0.78 152
153    Yemen 5.12 1.36 159
154    Mauritania 4.91 -0.45 142
155    India 4.61 2.11 165
156    San Marino 4.61 1.65 163
157    St Vincent/Grenadines 4.26 -2.14 128
158    Cayman Islands 4.24 1.48 164
159    Myanmar 4.17 -0.5 148
160    Bermuda 4.11 -0.14 154
161    Niger 3.57 -0.5 155
162    Guadeloupe 3.45 0.35 161
163    Fiji 3.33 1.53 171
164    Chad 3.26 -0.5 158
165    Sao Tome & Principe 3.11 -0.5 160
166    Dominican Rep 2.96 1.04 169
167    Guyana 2.64 1.12 173
168    Belize 2.38 2.22 178
169    Antigua 2.34 -0.74 162
170    Bangladesh 2.03 0.19 170
171    Taiwan 1.98 0.26 172
172    Neth.Antilles 1.43 -0.5 168
173    Nicaragua 1.41 -0.56 167
174    Maldives Rep 1.26 1.99 183
175    Tahiti 1.25 2.6 185
176    Nepal 1.08 2.65 188
177    Dominica 0.95 -1.25 166
178    Sri Lanka 0.62 0.74 179
179    Solomon Islands 0.57 -0.52 174
180    Laos 0.51 0.32 177
181    St Martin 0.35 1.85 189
182    Cambodia 0.19 -0.04 175
183    Philippines -0.06 -0.29 176
184    Djibouti -0.31 0.17 180
185    Somalia -0.5 0.95 187
186    Aruba -1.19 0.43 189
187    Seychelles -1.2 -0.5 182
188    Mongolia -1.36 1.84 194
189    Brunei -1.52 0.36 190
190    Virgin Islands -1.61 0.97 191
191    New Caledonia -1.87 -0.5 186
192    Macao -2.05 -1.27 184
193    Pakistan -2.09 1.04 193
194    Vanuatu -2.35 -1.65 181
195    Puerto Rico -2.51 0.17 192
196    Papua New Guinea -4.63 -0.5 194
197    Bahamas -5.12 0.26 196
198    Guam -5.54 -0.5 195
199    Montserrat -5.67 -0.5 197
299    US Virgin Islands -8.42 -0.35 197
201    Western Samoa -11.27 -0.93 198
202    Cook Islands -13.72 1.11 199
203    Tonga -14.26 1.18 200

Big Movers of 2001

Portugal changed places with European and World champions France on the strength of successfully negotiating the road to the next World Cup, while the French having qualified as champions were resigned to playing meaningless friendly matches and despite winning the Confederations Cup in South Korea and Japan narrowly missed out on finishing the year at the top of the rankings. England stormed into 3rd place while Sweden and Denmark also moved into the top ten.

Bahrain failed to qualify for the 2002 World Cup as expected but were the biggest movers after their shock 1-0 win away to Kuwait had taken them to the 2nd stage of the qualifiers where they held Iran to a goalless draw in Tehran before stunning the Iranians 3-1 in their return match to deny them automatic qualification.

Venezuela, normally the whipping boys of South America, proved to be a formidable force at home in World Cup qualifiers upsetting Uruguay 2-0, piercing Peru 3-0 and beating Paraguay 3-1, while on their travels they picked up a 2-0 win in Chile.

Martinique had a successful year beating St Vincent and the Grenadines 3-0 at home, to qualify for the finals in Trinidad & Tobago where they defeated their hosts 2-1 and Barbados 3-1 before eventually finishing 3rd.

Costa Rica moved up in the rankings after hammering Guatemala 5-2 in a Miami playoff to reach the final round where they qualified for the World Cup as group winners with a 2-1 victory in away to Mexico and a 3-2 win in Honduras.

Senegal showed that they are an up-and-coming team by topping a difficult World Cup qualifying group that included Morocco, whom they held to a goalless draw in Rabat, and Egypt. The Senegalese proved that their success was not limited to their own continent when they got the better of Asian giants Japan 2-0 in a friendly played in France.

Lithuania will look back at the year and remember holding Italy to a goalless draw in Kaunas, and picking up another point in their 1-1 World Cup qualifier draw away to Hungary while beating Cyprus 2-1 in a Limassol friendly was also an achievement for the Baltic outfit.

Kuwait had a disappointing year losing out to Bahrain on the road to the World Cup after losing to them 1-0 at home and struggling to gain a 1-0 home win over bottom team Singapore who had held them to a 1-1 draw in the away match. The Kuwaitis also lost 5-4 away to Thailand in a friendly.

Paraguay finished bottom of their Copa America group below Peru with whom they drew 3-3 and only just qualified for the World Cup losing away matches 2-1 to Ecuador and 3-1 to Venezuela and ending the year with a huge 4-0 home defeat to the hopeless Colombians.

Switzerland had very little to cheer about, finishing above the Faroe Islands and Luxembourg in their World Cup qualifying group after losing their home matches to Slovenia and Yugoslavia, and getting hammered 4-0 in Russia. The Swiss fared no better in friendly matches letting in 4 goals without reply to Poland in Larnaca and losing 2-0 at home to Sweden.

Madagascar finished second from bottom in both, their continental qualifiers where the lost 2-1 at home to bottom team Namibia, and their World Cup qualifying group where they were comprehensively beaten 3-1 at home and 6-0 away to the Ivory Coast.

The most surprising result of the year came in Saint Martin where Anguilla recorded a rare win thrashing Montserrat 4-1 in a Caribbean qualifier.

Three new countries entered the rankings with St Martin the highest at 189th and moving up 8 places after losing only 1-0 to Cuba and overcoming Dominica 3-2 in Caribbean qualifiers in Guyana. Mongolia moved in at 194th and rose 6 places thanks to a respectable 1-0 loss to Vietnam and a 2-2 draw against Bangladesh in World Cup qualifiers in Saudi Arabia. Montserrat moved into 197th position.

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