The Atlas Lions are world high jump champions. Performance validated by Fifa, which updated its ranking on Thursday. The first African country to reach the semi-finals of a World Cup during the Qatari edition, Morocco rose 11 places to climb to the gates of the Top 10, in eleventh position. A Top 10 slightly turned upside down. Brazil, which came out in the quarter-finals, retains the lead, ahead of the Argentinian world champions and their victim in the final, the France team.
The Albiceleste and the Blues each gained a place, pushing Belgium to fourth place. The maintenance of Brazil at the top and Belgium in the heights can also be questioned. Winner of the Copa America and the World Cup, Argentina is only runner-up. This is explained by the importance given to friendly matches and the qualifying phases.
In 2018, Fifa set up a formula supposed to take more into account the level of the selections as well as to grant greater importance to the matches at stake. “The importance of the match” is a major factor in the algorithm used. Within the formula, a victory in the group stage of the World Cup is now equivalent to five victories in a friendly match or two successes in the qualifying phases for major international tournaments.
Qatar leaves the Top 50
Brazil and Belgium each have very flattering records in these qualifying matches. Beyond having joined the final of the Copa America last year, the Seleçao has never bowed in the 17 games of the playoffs of the AmSud Zone. In the FIFA rankings, the Brazilian course in Qatar has allowed the auriverde to lose only half a point since October, where Argentina scraped nearly 65, failing two lengths behind its South American neighbor. The Red Devils have reached the Final 4 of the League of Nations in 2021 and have won 16 of their last 18 qualifying matches, without losing any.
For the rest of the standings, Spain fall three floors to land in the tenth seat, Croatia enter the Top 10, dropping from 12th to 7th position, after their third place at the World Cup.
Knocked out of the competition from the pools, Germany and Denmark fail in 14th and 18th places, respectively falling three and eight places. In the radius of the most impressive leaps, Australia equals Morocco, at a much lower altitude since the Socceroos reach 27th place after their surprise qualification in the round of 16 of the World Cup.
Among the losers, Canada falls from the top despite its return to the biggest stage of international football. Alphonso Davies’ teammates have lost twelve places and somehow landed in 53rd position. Finally, Qatar also left the Top 50. After serving as sparring partner in Pool A, the host country of the last World Cup now ranks 60th.
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