I'll give you a minute to explain how the FIFA rankings work....Nothing? Thought as much. Once a month an updated list comes out and we're somehow supposed to care or attach any relevance to it?
First up I don't want to diminish the brilliance of the Wales football team over the last couple of years, congratulations on being the best you've ever been you deserve that but did you really need the honour of breaking into FIFA's illustrious rankings to tell you that or maybe the run to the semifinals of this summer's Euros was justification.
Now that's dealt with let's jump to the top of the rankings. Argentina are the best team in the world apparently. Having reached three finals in the last three years they may be pretty consistent but they've lost all three finals, hardly the mark of the world's best team. Chile, who beat them in two of those finals, are in sixth!
Messi, recently out of retirement, and his fellow countrymen even dropped points in the recent World Cup qualifier when they drew to Venezuela. It's not like this is a world dominant Argentina side that have dropped off a little recently and are still yet to be reeled in, as with the tennis rankings and Novak Djokovic!
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If you could make an argument for Argentina, and I'm sure you could, you'd struggle to defend Belgium's second place ranking on the list. The 'Golden Generation' have come no where near living up to their reputation. There is no doubt the talent in that team but Marc Wilmots couldn't get them past the quarterfinal stages of either the World Cup in 2014 or the Euros and under Roberto Martinez they've already been trashed 3-0 by Spain.
I'll skip talking about numbers three to nine because I'm sure we could be here all day, although I'll stop off to make a quick comment about Brazil being up in fourth! Really? Brazil, the team who got knocked out of the Copa America group stages by Peru and Ecuador!
Spain's recent fall from grace has seen them settle outside the top 10 for what must be the first time in ages. It's probably deserved because of their struggles in recent tournaments but I remain unconvinced they aren't better than some sides inside the top 10.
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England are the 12th best team in the world according to the rankings. That's the same team who couldn't beat Russia, Slovakia or Iceland at the Euros and constantly fails to do anything at tournaments. They are marginally ahead of Euro quarter finalists Italy and far superior technically Croatia. Iceland are down in 27th for god's sake! Fine not everyone who beats another team should automatically jump ahead of them but when have England ever played like a top 12 side other than a friendly against Germany?!
The FIFA rankings don't matter other than twice every four years, no one cares about and no one knows how they work and more than that they clearly don't work very well at all!
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