ABSTRACT
In August 1993, the Fe´de´ration Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), the governing body of the world’s biggest and most popular sport, soccer, published the first world ranking list of national soccer teams. Since its inauguration the rankings list has been inspected and scrutinized by fans, pundits, team coaches, players, and governing bodies across the globe. The rankings have come under much criticism from interested parties, mainly due to anecdotal anomalies in the ordering/positioning of some teams, but there also has been a debate on how ranking points are awarded to teams. The condemnation of the rankings meant that in 1998 FIFA decided to make “minor alterations” to their system as the original rankings process was “in need of improvement.” Again, in 2006 following the World Cup Finals held in Germany, FIFA decided the time had come to once again alter the rankings system and the FIFAWorld Rankings underwent a comprehensive revision. In its relatively short existence, the FIFA world rankings list has therefore been the subject of much criticism. But was it justified? Were the changes FIFA made in response to such criticism necessary?
