Fans often debate who the best team in the world is. While this is usually a subjective opinion, the most objective measure is the FIFA ranking. It currently defines the hierarchy of national teams.
To better understand the FIFA federation, it’s worth reviewing some basic information, which is presented in the table below:
| Date of establishment | May 21, 1904 |
| Headquarters | Zurich, Switzerland |
| Number of members | 211 national federations |
| Highest position of the Polish National Team | 5th (2017) |
| Lowest position of the Polish National Team | 78th (2013) |
FIFA is nothing more than the International Federation of Association Football. It organizes football competitions and also sets the rules of the game.
Polish fans are particularly interested in Poland’s position in the FIFA ranking. That’s no surprise — football is a hot topic in Poland. In our tables, you’ll find the position of the Polish national team and how it compares to other countries.
In general, the FIFA ranking is a list of all national teams affiliated with the International Federation of Association Football. Its goal is to present a hierarchy in international football. The rankings are updated once a month, although there are exceptions. The ranking is not updated when no official matches are played, since in such cases the standings would remain unchanged, making an update unnecessary.
The FIFA ranking does not provide many details. Essentially, it only includes the team's position, total points, and the point change since the previous ranking. Points are based on results in official matches.
To calculate the points in the FIFA ranking, a special formula is used: P (points) = Pb (team’s points before the match) + I (match importance) × (W – We), where W is the match result (1 for a win, 0.5 for a draw, and 0 for a loss), and We is the expected result based on the points difference between the two teams in the ranking.
The letter I represents the importance of the match, calculated as follows:
FIFA’s history began in France, specifically in Paris. It was there, on May 21, 1904, that the federation was founded. The main reason for establishing the organization was the increasing number of international friendly matches being played. From the very beginning, FIFA laid down the fundamental principles of its operation, such as the prohibition of playing for multiple national teams and uniform rules of the game across all countries.
The organization gradually developed, but a major milestone was the first FIFA World Cup, which took place in June 1930 in Uruguay. A total of 13 teams participated — 4 from Europe, 7 from South America, and 2 from North America.
Three major reforms have been made in the history of the organization regarding how points are calculated for the FIFA ranking. Initially, the ranking used the same point system as league play: 3 points for a win, 1 for a draw, and 0 for a loss. This changed in 1999. The new rules took the following factors into account:
The next reform came shortly after the 2006 FIFA World Cup. At that time, goals scored and home/away status were no longer considered. The latest and most significant reform was introduced after the 2018 World Cup in Russia. The new rules were as follows: