Euro 2024 is all set to be a tournament to remember, with Italy aiming to retain their title and hold off competition from the likes of pre-competition favorites England, France and hosts Germany.
England coach Gareth Southgate is yet to lead the Three Lions to a major title, whilst France lost out to Argentina in a whirlwind FIFA 2022 World Cup final.
The performances of all 24 national teams taking part at Euro 2024 have been calculated by FIFA ahead of the tournament, and the latest world rankings make for interesting reading.
FIFA are still the main authority on international team progression, and France and England are in the current top five ahead of the big kickoff of the Euros on June 14.
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Argentina’s 2022 World Cup win saw them edge up to top spot and they are the current top dogs on FIFA’s list, ahead of France in second place.
Third-place Belgium and fourth-spotted England make it three European representatives in the top five, with Portugal, the Netherlands, Spain, Italy and Croatia all in the top 10.
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This question will be on the minds of fans ahead of Euro 2024, with France aiming to convert their current status as the top-ranked European nation into a title this summer.
FIFA rankings came into play at the end of 1992, so the first European Championship they could be measured against came at Euro ’96, held in England.
In that first instance, the numbers revealed the winner, as Germany (ranked No.2 by FIFA at the time, in behind Brazil) lifted the trophy at Wembley Stadium.
However, the following years have produced a mixed set of results for the top-ranking nation when it comes to their performances in the Euros, as listed below.
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FIFA rankings have existed since 1992 and use a points-scoring system to work out standings.
The method for calculating FIFA rankings was officially changed in August 2018.
This new system works by adding or subtracting points from a team’s previous total based on results rather than using an average number of points earned over a certain period.
The number of points added or subtracted is influenced by the quality of opponent a team faces. For example, beating a team ranked inside the top 10 will result in more points being gained than defeating a side ranked outside the top 20. The expected result of the game will also impact the number of points gained.
Specific games are given more weight too, so winning a World Cup match will result in more points than claiming victory in an international friendly.
Matches decided by penalty shootouts are a factor as well, with losing teams given the same points as for a draw, while winners only get points equivalent to half a win.
Losing knockout-round matches of final competitions also won’t result in teams losing any points.
Here’s a calculation example provided by FIFA:
FIFA rankings are updated after each recognzsed international window.
As such, they are generally revised several times a year depending on the FIFA calendar, the most recent coming in April 2024.
Feargal is a content producer for The Sporting News.
