CONCACAF Rankings Thread

Woot! Canada finally cracked the top ten for the first time in a long while. Looking forward to climbing up the rankings...

 

Here are the Top 10 in CONCACAF in the August 2017 FIFA Rankings:

14. Mexico (up 2)
21. Costa Rica (up 5)
26. USA (up 9)
55. Haiti (down 6)
57. Jamaica (up 19 with the most points gained and spots gained in the world)
61. Panama (down 9)
75. Honduras (down 3)
83. Trinidad and Tobago (down 5)
86. Curacao (down 18 with the most points dropped in the world and tied with Cuba for the most spots dropped in the world)
95. Canada (up 5)

The teams ranked 11th through 35th in CONCACAF who moved at least 5 spots were Barbados (up 13 to 168th), St. Vincent and the Grenadines (up 10 to 169th), and Cuba (down 18 to 182nd).

 

Here are the Top 10 in CONCACAF in the September 2017 FIFA Rankings:

14. Mexico (even)
21. Costa Rica (even)
28. USA (down 2)
48. Haiti (up 7)
60. Panama (up 1)
61. Jamaica (down 4)
74. Honduras (up 1)
86. Curacao (even)
96. Canada (down 1)
99. El Salvador (up 4)

Guatemala lost the most spots in the world. They're 16th in CONCACAF and 131rd in the world. Outside of the Top 10 and Guatemala, two countries moved at least 10 spots. Trinidad and Tobago fell 16 to 99th and St. Kitts and Nevis was up 11 to 114th. Trinidad and Tobago has their third worst ranking ever and their worst ranking since their worst-ever rank of 106th in October 2010.

 

I was expecting the FIFA Rankings to be released on Thursday like they usually are, but they were released today to be used for tomorrow's UEFA WCQ playoff draw. Panama has their best ranking since they were 33rd in July 2014, and they fell to 63rd in August 2014. Antigua and Barbuda is down 19 spots to 136th, which is their worst ranking since August 2014. The 35 teams had a combined gain of 13 spots, with 18 moving up, 8 (including the bottom 7) remaining the same, and 9 falling.

 

Here are the Top 10 in CONCACAF in the November 2017 FIFA Rankings:

16. Mexico (even)
24. USA (up 3)
26. Costa Rica (down 4)
54. Jamaica (up 5)
56. Panama (down 7)
57. Haiti (down 1)
70. Honduras (down 1)
84. Curacao (up 5)
89. Trinidad and Tobago (down 6)
94. Canada (up 2)

The 35 CONCACAF teams combined were up 12.

 

Here are the Top 10 in CONCACAF in the December 2017 FIFA Rankings:

16. Mexico (even)
24. USA (even)
26. Costa Rica (even)
54. Jamaica (even)
55. Panama (up 1)
56. Haiti (up 1)
68. Honduras (up 2)
83. Curacao (up 1)
87. Trinidad and Tobago (up 2)
94. Canada (even)

The 35 CONCACAF teams combined were down 30. The biggest movers were Nicaragua down 13 spots to 119th and Cuba down 10 spots to 180th. Cuba was in the top six in CONCACAF in the draw for World Cup 2014 qualifying and is now 27th in CONCACAF. There weren't many changes because there weren't many games.

 

Here are the Top 10 in CONCACAF in the January 2018 FIFA Rankings:

17. Mexico (down 1)
25. USA (down 1)
27. Costa Rica (down 1)
53. Panama (up 2)
55. Jamaica (down 1)
67. Honduras (up 1)
80. Trinidad and Tobago (up 7)
84. Curacao (down 1)
87. Haiti (down 31)
90. El Salvador (up 10)

Canada fell 1 spot to 95th and is 11th in CONCACAF. Other than Haiti and El Salvador, the double-digit movers were Suriname (down 32 to 160th) and Belize (down 13 to 171st). CONCACAF teams had a net change of 66 spots worse.

 

Here are the Top 10 in CONCACAF in the February 2018 FIFA Rankings:

17. Mexico (even)
24. USA (up 1)
25. Costa Rica (up 2)
50. Jamaica (up 5)
53. Panama (even)
65. Honduras (up 2)
80. Trinidad and Tobago (even)
83. Curacao (up 1)
86. Haiti (up 1)
89. El Salvador (up 1)
89. Canada (up 6)

Canada is 11th when you use exact value, but the rankings are done based on rounding to the nearest whole number, which makes a tie for tenth.

 

CONCACAF Launches New Ranking Index
http://www.concacaf.com/article/con...e=twitter&utm_campaign=CONCACAF&sf183435770=1

CONCACAF Ranking as of March 1st, 2018

1 Mexico MEX 2,047



2 United States USA 1,853



3 Costa Rica CRC 1,845



4 Panama PAN 1,700



5 Honduras HON 1,669



6 Jamaica JAM 1,516



7 Canada CAN 1,448



8 Guatemala GUA 1,417



9 Haiti HAI 1,348



10 El Salvador SLV 1,347


11 Trinidad & Tobago TRI


12 Martinique MTQ


13 Cuba CUB


14 French Guiana GUF


15 Guadeloupe GLP


16 Nicaragua NCA


17 St. Kitts & Nevis SKN


18 Curaçao CUW


19 Suriname SUR


20 Antigua and Barbuda ATG


21 Dominican Republic DOM


22 Bermuda BER


23 Guyana GUY


24 Belize BLZ


25 Bonaire BOE


26 Grenada GRN


27 St. Vincent & the Grenadines VIN


28 St. Lucia LCA


29 Barbados BRB


30 Puerto Rico PUR


31 Bahamas BAH


32 Dominica DMA


33 Aruba ARU


34 Cayman Islands CAY


35 Turks and Caicos Islands TCA


36 Montserrat MSR


37 US Virgin Islands VIR


38 Saint Martin SMN


39 Sint Maarten SMA


40 Anguilla AIA


41 British Virgin Islands VGB

 

Here are the Top 10 in CONCACAF in the March 2018 FIFA Rankings:

17. Mexico (even)
25. USA (down 1)
26. Costa Rica (down 1)
49. Jamaica (up 1)
53. Panama (even)
64. Honduras (up 1)
79. Trinidad and Tobago (up 1)
82. Curacao (up 1)
85. Haiti (up 1)
87. El Salvador (up 2)

Canada fell one spot to 90th and is the eleventh and final CONCACAF team in the top half. CONCACAF has 35 members of FIFA, so 11 is 31.4%. Guatemala moved up 1 spot to 126th during their suspension due to how other teams changed. Guatemala was 79th when they got suspended. CONCACAF had a net change of up 18, which is about 0.5 per team. CONCACAF teams have an average rank of 135.8 compared to 105.8 for all 211 teams. If every team had a unique number, the mean for all teams would be 106, but FIFA not breaking ties in the rankings makes the average for all teams be lower than 106.

 

FIFA Rankings come out in 11 days. FIFA says US Virgin Islands, Montserrat, Cayman Islands, and British Virgin Islands will fall to 0 points, which is a mistake because all of them have points from the third most recent year that won't drop out yet. If they are listed with 0 points in April 2018, maybe I will contact FIFA.

 

Here are the Top 10 in CONCACAF in the April 2018 FIFA Rankings:

15. Mexico (up 2)
24. USA (up 1)
25. Costa Rica (up 1)
48. Jamaica (up 1)
55. Panama (down 2)
59. Honduras (up 5)
71. Curacao (up 11)
80. Canada (up 10)
85. El Salvador (up 2)
92. Trinidad and Tobago (down 13)

Canada has their best ranking since they were 80th in May 2013. The Top 10 combined to move up 18 spots, but all 35 teams combined to fall 40 spots. 12 teams moved at least 10 spots. In addition to the 3 listed above, Haiti fell 23 spots to 108 for the most spots dropped, Antigua and Barbuda moved up 15 to 124 with FIFA not knowing about one of their games, St. Kitts and Nevis fell 19 to 126, Nicaragua fell 20 to 136, Guatemala fell 14 to 140, Dominican Republic gained 14 to 149, Belize gained 10 to 167, Grenada fell 12 to 171, and Dominica fell 10 to 176.

 

Only 1 of the Top 13 and 9 of the Top 50 in the world gained points.

 

The May 2018 FIFA Rankings had only 7 games added. Here are the Top 10 in CONCACAF:

15. Mexico (even)
24. USA (even)
25. Costa Rica (even)
52. Jamaica (down 4)
55. Panama (even)
59. Honduras (even)
71. Curacao (even)
80. Canada (even)
85. El Salvador (even)
92. Trinidad and Tobago (even)

The 35 teams had a combined change of down 13.

 

Here are the Top 10 in CONCACAF in the June 2018 FIFA Rankings:

15. Mexico (even)
23. Costa Rica (up 2)
25. USA (down 1)
54. Jamaica (down 2)
55. Panama (even)
62. Honduras (down 3)
72. El Salvador (up 13)
79. Canada (up 1)
81. Curacao (down 10)
91. Trinidad and Tobago (up 1)

Canada has their best ranking since they were 79th in April 2013. The teams to move at least 10 spots were El Salvador, Curacao, Puerto Rico, and Guyana. Puerto Rico was down 14 to 173rd and Guyana was down 18 to 182nd with the most spots dropped in the world. Other than El Salvador, the most spots gained was Belize, who was up 6 to 163rd. CONCACAF teams had an average change of down 1.1. Turks and Caicos Islands had their 13 points become too old, so they joined 5 other teams as tied for last with 0 points. Them, Anguilla, and Bahamas make half of those teams in CONCACAF.

 

It appears the new ranking is supposed to go into effect after the WC is finished. So the 2018 WC results will still be under the old system.

 

I don’t think it’s been confirmed what day the new ranking will start,

 

I couldn't find a date, just that it would be after the WC. It is good they are making the change though. It should help the stronger teams in AFC, CAF and CONCACAF rise a little higher.

 

This seems like the right way to do this. Start the new system at the start of the new cycle.

 

Where was it reported that the World Cup games would use the old system?

The FIFA announcement said that:

"will be inaugurated with the first official ranking following the 2018 FIFA World Cup""​

And that date is set for Thursday July 19, according to FIFA's ranking page.

Presumably, those July 19th rankings, will have been calculated using the new method since the last June release.

 

I seemed to have misread the quote. Probably wishful thinking. Well we will see soon.