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- Belgium tops the FIFA / Coca-Cola Rankings for the third consecutive year
- This year’s ‘better side’ is Hungary with a gain of 44 points
- Burundi the biggest climbers in terms of places won
A total of 1082 full international matches were played in 2019, the highest number since the FIFA / Coca-Cola World Ranking was introduced in 1993. By contrast, only 352 matches were played in 2020. Not since 1987 (323 matches), There are so few accessories made in a calendar year. And while 2020 has certainly seen major disruptions, Belgium still managed to claim the FIFA / Coca-Cola World Ranking Team of the Year title for the third time in a row.
Winners of six of their eight games in 2020, the Red Devils aren’t the only ones seeing their position unchanged. His three immediate pursuers, France (2nd), Brazil (3rd) and England (4th), maintain their respective rankings. The only change in the top five compared to 2019 is Portugal’s appearance in fifth place.
Next in the rankings are Spain (6th) and Argentina (7th), both of which have improved two places compared to last year. Uruguay (8th) has fallen back but remains in the Top 10, while Mexico and Italy are back in 9th and 10th place.
The team with the most progress in 2020 was Hungary (40th), after a gain of 44 points and 12 places that allowed them to finish the year in the top 50. In eight games played in 2020, the Magyars lost only once (to Russia), a sequence of results that allowed them to secure a spot at UEFA EURO 2020.
Other notable climbers this year were Ecuador (56 °, + 41 points compared to December 2019), Malta (176 °, + 32 points), Brazil (3rd, + 31 points) and Equatorial Guinea (134 °, + 31 points). Burundi (138th), for its part, collected 29 points and made the most significant move in terms of places, climbing 13 positions.
Like most of 2020, December saw a low number of games. Consequently, there is little movement to report other than a one-spot increase for Qatar (58th, +1), host of the next FIFA World Cup ™, following their defeat of Bangladesh (186th, -2). in a delayed AFC qualifying game. for Qatar 2022. Ethiopia (146th, + 1), Djibouti (184, + 1) and Dominica (184th, + 1) all advanced one place and hope to build on that progress in 2021.
The next FIFA / Coca-Cola World Ranking will be published on February 18, 2021.
