World cup teams in perspective

snellfish

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FIFA Rank / English League teams

1) Brazil = Chelsea (Prem)
2) Spain = Man Utd (Prem)
3) Portugal = Arsenal (Prem)
4) Holland = Tottenham (Prem)
5) Italy = Man City (Prem)
6) Germany = Aston Villa (Prem)
7) Argentina = Liverpool (Prem)
8) England = Everton (Prem)
9) France = Birmingham (Prem)
13) Greece = Sunderland (Prem)
14) USA = Bolton (Prem)
15) Serbia = Wolves (Prem)
16) Uruguay = Wigan (Prem)
17) Mexico = West Ham (Prem)
18) Chile = Burnley (Prem)
19) Cameroon = Hull (Prem)
20) Australia = Portsmouth (Prem)
21) Nigeria = Newcastle (Champ)
24) Switzerland = Cardiff (Champ)
25) Slovenia = Leicester (Champ)
27) Ivory Coast = Swansea (Champ)
30) Algeria = Bristol City (Champ)
31) Paraguay = Middlesborough (Champ)
32) Ghana = Doncaster (Champ)
34) Slovakia = Derby (Champ)
36) Denmark = Watford (Champ)
38) Honduras = Barnsley (Champ)
45) Japan = Norwich (L1)
47) South Korea = Millwall (L1)
78) New Zealand = Port Vale (L2)
83) South Africa = Accrington (L2)
105) North Korea = Kidderminster (BSP)
 
Still waiting patiently on Pele's prediction of an African teaming winning the WC.

Idiot.
 
Way off base with the england comparison - imho England = Liverpool.
 
I'm offended that you have put England against my team. :laugh:

Although another interesting thread could probably come from this, would say Man United, Chelsea etc beat England?
 
Why, Liverpool are **** :D
Greg definitely does not support Liverpool and as said the premise of the thread is quite simple
 
Look above, the penny dropped 9 minutes before you posted ;)
 
It's a good comparison - we tend to forget how good the USA actually are.

Its interesting, but it doesn't take account of the group of countries they have to qualify from.

The USA and Mexico are in CONCACAF, which is the football equivalent of shooting fish in a barrel.
 
Its interesting, but it doesn't take account of the group of countries they have to qualify from.

Actually it does.

Explained here.

Of course like all statistical systems it has failings, especially in comparison to something like tennis, where there are magnitudes more matches.
 
would say Man United, Chelsea etc beat England?

That wouldn't be possible as who would Rooney, Terry, Cole etc play for?
 
The Observer added up FIFA rankings for each group to calculate what was really the "Group of Death". That was done in December (I kept their World Cup 2010 pull-out section). The FIFA rankings were slightly different then and Group H came out as the most difficult group, with Group G as the third most easy.

Applying this technique to the rankings posted here gives:

Group A
9) France = Birmingham (Prem)
16) Uruguay = Wigan (Prem)
17) Mexico = West Ham (Prem)
83) South Africa = Accrington (L2)
Group A total = 125

Group B
7) Argentina = Liverpool (Prem)
13) Greece = Sunderland (Prem)
21) Nigeria = Newcastle (Champ)
47) South Korea = Millwall (L1)
Group B total = 88

Group C
8) England = Everton (Prem)
14) USA = Bolton (Prem)
25) Slovenia = Leicester (Champ)
30) Algeria = Bristol City (Champ)
Group C total = 77

Group D
6) Germany = Aston Villa (Prem)
15) Serbia = Wolves (Prem)
20) Australia = Portsmouth (Prem)
32) Ghana = Doncaster (Champ)
Group D total = 73

Group E
4) Holland = Tottenham (Prem)
19) Cameroon = Hull (Prem)
36) Denmark = Watford (Champ)
45) Japan = Norwich (L1)
Group E total = 104

Group F
5) Italy = Man City (Prem)
31) Paraguay = Middlesborough (Champ)
34) Slovakia = Derby (Champ)
78) New Zealand = Port Vale (L2)
Group F total = 148

Group G
1) Brazil = Chelsea (Prem)
3) Portugal = Arsenal (Prem)
27) Ivory Coast = Swansea (Champ)
105) North Korea = Kidderminster (BSP)
Group G total = 136

Group H
2) Spain = Man Utd (Prem)
18) Chile = Burnley (Prem)
24) Switzerland = Cardiff (Champ)
38) Honduras = Barnsley (Champ)
Group H total = 82


Lowest total = hardest group.
Of course, the theory is skewed by the presence of teams like North Korea and New Zealand with very low rankings.
 

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