Brazil continue to top latest FIFA World Rankings list ahead of 2022 World Cup
With the 2022 FIFA World Cup around the corner, the excitement is continuing to build across the football world. The four-yearly tournament is arguably the biggest competition in all of competitive sports, with the world’s best football teams compete against each other in order to be crowned the world champions. Indeed, there is nothing really like it, which is why there are so many that are looking forward to this winter’s edition which will be held in Qatar.
Of course, many will already have been putting up their wall charts and looking at making predictions about what they think will happen now that we know what the Group Stage looks like, with many plotting the route to the final for their country, while others are looking at the potential outcomes due to the ability to bet on the competition.
Naturally, millions will be interested in looking at it from this viewpoint, which is perhaps why the recent announcement of the latest FIFA World Rankings will have come as a timely update for so many. While they may not actually mean too much when it comes down to the players on the pitch and determining the results of each game, they can give everyone a good idea of what could be expected.
So, what are the latest rankings? Who tops the list, and which nations are perhaps those that are worth looking out for in November when the 2022 FIFA World Cup finally gets underway? Let’s take a look below…
Brazil continue to top the FIFA World Rankings
In the latest update of the FIFA World Rankings, the top five nations have remained the same after a total of 53 Nations League fixtures and 119 friendlies were played over the course of the most recent international break.
With so many super-stars in the team, like Neymar jr., Casemiro, Ederson, Thiago Silva, Marquinos, Vinicius Jr. or Fabinho, Brazil continue to hold onto its status of being the No. 1 ranked team in football, with the South Americans going into this year’s FIFA World Cup in good form and being among the favorites to lift the trophy for the sixth time; having already held the record for being the most successful team in the history of the competition with their current five.
Belgium follow in second, while Argentina, France, and England complete the top five. Perhaps unsurprisingly, many of the aforementioned nations are also considered to be favorites to be the outright winner according to the latest World Cup odds to have been offered. Of those mentioned, only the Red Devils are not on the list of the top five favorites, with Spain replacing them.
What about elsewhere in the FIFA World Rankings?
Of course, there will be many that will also be looking elsewhere on the list of FIFA World Rankings, as they may be looking for potential shocks and upsets, while they may also be wondering if there are teams that could be considered dark horses for the upcoming tournament.
Italy are ranked No. 6, although they will not be at the competition in Qatar after falling to North Macedonia in shocking circumstances in a Playoff game, while the top 10 is rounded off by Spain (No. 7), the Netherlands (No. 8), Portugal (No. 9), and Denmark (No. 10).
Given the fact that the USA (No. 16), Wales (No. 19), and Iran (No. 20) are all in the same group as England, Group B could be considered to be the toughest group of the entire competition when based on the rankings, thus making it one that is certainly worth keeping an eye on.
The lowest-ranked side to be in the 2022 FIFA World Cup this winter is Ghana, with the African nation having been placed 61st in the list of latest rankings after dropping points in the latest round of tallying.
Final Thoughts
While the FIFA World Rankings may not necessarily mean too much when it comes down to each match actually being played, they can be a good indicator in regard to how each match may turn out.
With Brazil the No. 1 ranked team, there will be many eyes on the Selecao this winter as many will be expecting them to lift the FIFA World Cup for the sixth time in December.
