FIFA (Soccer) Top 50 World Rankings: for 2001

Updated September 27, 2017 | Infoplease Staff

FIFA announced a new monthly world ranking system on Aug. 13, 1993 designed to “provide a constant international comparison of national team performances.” The rankings are based on a mathematical formula that weighs strength of schedule, importance of matches and goals scored for and against. Games considered include World Cup qualifying and final rounds, Continental championship qualifying and final rounds, and friendly matches.

The formula was altered slightly in January 1999. Now the rankings annually take into account a team's seven best matches of the last eight years, thereby favoring some teams that have been consistent over a long period of time but that may have stumbled just recently. At the end of the year, FIFA designates a Team of the Year. Teams of the Year so far have been Germany (1993), Brazil (1994-2000) and France (2001). The USA reached their highest ever ranking (eighth) in Sept. 2002.

    Points 2000
Rank
1 France 812 2
2 Argentina 802 3
3 Brazil 793 1
4 Portugal 741 6
5 Colombia 739 15
6 Italy 734 4
7 Spain 730 7
8 Netherlands 722 8
9 Mexico 714 12
10 England 712 17
11 Yugoslavia 710 9
12 Germany 707 11
13 Paraguay 691 9
14 Czech Republic 689 4
15 Romania 688 13
16 Sweden 676 22
17 Ireland 672 31
  Denmark 672 22
19 Croatia 668 18
20 Belgium 666 27
21 Russia 665 21
22 Uruguay 664 32
23 Turkey 663 30
24 USA 662 16
25 Slovenia 650 35
  Norway 650 14
  Honduras 650 46
28 Tunisia 648 26
29 Iran 642 36
30 Costa Rica 635 60
31 Saudi Arabia 632 36
32 Trinidad and Tobago 630 29
33 Poland 629 43
34 Japan 626 38
  South Africa 626 20
36 Morocco 623 28
37 Ecuador 613 53
38 Cameroon 609 39
39 Chile 604 19
  Nigeria 604 52
41 Egypt 602 33
42 South Korea 599 40
43 Peru 598 45
44 Ivory Coast 596 51
45 Ukraine 593 34
46 Finland 588 59
  Slovakia 588 24
48 Australia 586 72
49 Israel 583 41
50 Scotland 577 25

 

2002 World Cup Tournament 2001–02 Season African Nations Cup

 

 
2001–02 Season
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