Correlation between Population, GDP and other stats and the Ranking of World Cup Teams

Chicharito? Not exactly a type of player I associate with world class.
The second?

 

I feel because of their economic power, the USA was able to build a decent league and good infrastructure, but these factors tend to overrate it in its actual footballing level. Am more impressed with the rise of Ghana, Japan, Ivory Coast, which have achieved better results along with a few world class players.

I don't know if your definition of world class player is correct, for example Keisuke Honda is a world class player for a few years now but would only fall under your definition since this year. In any event, Mexico, while overall underachieving, has produced more than just Hugo Sanchez and Rafa Marquez: players like Claudio Suarez, Garcia Aspe, R Ramirez, L Hernandez, Blanco, Luna, Osorio and Salcido all reached world class level for a few years during their careers.

 

Ghana and Japan seem to be consistently creating talent, so they seem here to stay and even get better and better.

On the other hand Ivory Coast looks to have a dearth of options in the long run. There is Serge Aurier (who looks set to be widely held as one of the best in the world in 1-2 years), an outpour of talented RB (Djedje and Akpa-Akpro) and the trio of strikers in Wilfried Bony, Lacina Traore and Seydou Doumbia... but apart from that its looking very poor. I am even unable to locate any decent prospective talent in youth academies.

Thankfully for Cote d'Ivoire only Drogba seems past the hill but I have no idea what will happen to the country in 4 years time when almost the entire current squad will be retired or at best 33. You even look through the European leagues and the only young players of note are Bobley Anderson and Ismael Diomande, who at best both look decent. In four years time it looks like we'll have a 30 year old Gervinho and Tiote, a world class RB, a 34 year old Yaya Toure and three quality (possibly world class) strikers vying for one space. Unless some Ivorian players suddenly appear out of nowhere this seem like a one-generational thing. I sincerely doubt we'll see Cote d'Ivoire come 2018, unless Yaya Toure manages to keep up his top form so long.

Wonder what happened to the famed ASEC Mimosas academy products?

Conversely - looking at this years Ligue 1 and performance of Senegalese players across Europe I expect a resurgence of Senegal come 2018. I said it before, but you could basically select an all Senegalese backline + midfield pivot and then convincingly argue you chose the best players in Ligue 1.

Also if you look at Ghana - they burst into the scene in 2006. Almost an entire generation of players has retired, but Ghana has seemlessly managed to exchange it with youth talent. And the supply of new talent seems never-ending.

 

Rafa Marquez + Hugo Sanchez

World Class should probably have been in the discussion for one of the Top 25 players in the World at some point in their career.

 

Croatia 4.5 only mil of people vs Uruguay 3.5



Ranking FIFA (Football)

7. Uruguay
16. Croatia



Ranking FIBA (Basket)

16. Croatia
27. Uruguay



Ranking IRB (Rugby)

20. Uruguay
56. Croatia



Fuente:

http://www.fifa.com/worldranking/rankingtable/index.html?intcmp=fifacom_hp_module_ranking

http://www.fiba.com/pages/eng/fc/even/rank/p/rankMen.html

http://www.irb.com/rankings/sportid=1/ranking/index.html

 

Croatia has qualified for 80% of the World Cups that have been held since they became an independent country. That is pretty darn good.

 

New Zealand 4.5 vs Croatia 4.5 vs Uruguay 3.5



Ranking FIFA (Football)

7. Uruguay
16. Croatia
89. New Zealand



Ranking FIBA (Basket)

16. Croatia
19. New Zealand
27. Uruguay



Ranking IRB (Rugby)

1. New Zealand
20. Uruguay
56. Croatia



Fuente:

http://www.fifa.com/worldranking/rankingtable/index.html?intcmp=fifacom_hp_module_ranking

http://www.fiba.com/pages/eng/fc/even/rank/p/rankMen.html

http://www.irb.com/rankings/sportid=1/ranking/index.html



... and I think if we had 1 more million of inhabitants, we could be in the top 20 of the basket, as they were throughout the 20th century. Don't forget that Uruguay and Brazil were in the last century, the only two South American powers.

 

http://museo.urubasket.com/

 

Yeah, sure.
That is if Argentina, weren't considered.
As of Argentina, only team in the FIBA americas, that have won the quintuplet crown : they've been World champions (1950), Olympic Gold medal (2004), FIBA diamond ball (2008), FIBA Americas championship (2001 and 2011), and Pan-american Gold medal (1995).
Besides, in the 2002 FIBA World championship held in Indianapolis, where they ended second to Yugoslavia, they achieved the first win over an NBA's full professional dream team.

In the only category Uruguay has ever had a great performance was in the Southamerican championships, as in the FIBA's World championship, even Chile has had better performance than Uruguay, with our two 3rd places (of 1950 and 1959). The best that Uruguay has ever done, was reach 6th (1954).

Face it, the only sport were Uruguay "exists", it is in Football.
In all other sports, Uruguay at best is only average, as most of the times they are at the bottom of the lists.

 

lol dude.. Uruguay had made pretty good results.. epecially in football and i have full respect for that...
but look at this... Croatia is independent country since 1991.. thats only 23 years..

since then:
- we didnt qualified only for WC 2010, and continental cup 2000
- in first appearance on WC (1998) we took third place
- first appearance on Olympics we played final basketball game vs USA Dream Team (that one with Jordan, Pippen, Malone, Barkley...)
- we have several medals (championships and olympics included) in handball (with France, Danmark, Spain, Germany we are almost always in top 5)
- same situation in water polo..
- we had Wimbledon winner (Ivanisevic) and Davis Cup title (Ivan Ljubicic, Ancic)
- we had skier Janica Kostelic ( only woman to win four gold medals in alpine skiing at the Winter Olympics, and the only woman to win three alpine skiing gold medals in one Olympics).. her Brother Ivica is good skier too... and dude we even dont have mountains with much snow
- two famous k-1 fighters (Cikatic and Filipovic), female athlete Blanka Vlasic...
...etc...

point is... that we have plenty of talent sportsmen, but in common, its all based on idividual effort..
cause maybe Croatia isnt poorest country on the world.. but i cant tell you that our government financialy support only few of sports...
most money goes to football... and even with that, kids that are playing in our league arent material for our NT... most of them are playing in Germany, Spain, UK, Russia and Ukraine football leagues...

 

EDIT:

 

Aaa!!! Run - the Uruguayans are back!

 

When you want it, we can settle our differences in a rugby match.

 

Uruguay's last win against a Top 10 (Basket)

FIBA Americas Championship in Caracas (Venezuela), 2 September 2013

 

That was the one where Argentina ended 3rd and Venezuela as 5th.
Uruguay ended 7th.

 

Croatia does better than either Uruguay or New Zealand in tennis and boxing however.

 

Everything can change.

 

Has nothing to do with my comment .

In basketball, since 2000 is a different story.

 

The drug dealer.......

 

That is the spanish.

 

.......