CLIMBING THE LADDER

Since being introduced in december 1992, the FIFA World ranking has routinely been the subject of controversy. In nearly three decades, only eight teams have topped the list: Argentina, Brazil, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain and most recently, Belgium, who unlike their predecessors have never won a senior international trophy.

This sort of anomaly is why the rankings are questioned, but the system is most contentious with countries lower down.

“A couple of years ago it was easier with a few good results and regular matches during FIFA dates to climb up faster for the lower-ranked teams,” says German coach Michael Weiss, who has coached the Philippines and left Mongolia in January 2020. “At the time if you beat, for instance, a team ranked ten or 20 places higher you would automatically jump ten spots up.

“In my case in Mongolia, we reached several milestones during my three years and