World rankings

[Scrumhalf]

According to the FIFA rankings, Australia is 20th and the Republic of Korea is 47th.

http://www.fifa.com/worldfootball/ranking/lastranking/gender=m/fullranking.html

A more reliable source has to be the Elo rankings:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Football_Elo_Ratings#Top_60_ranking

The Republic of Korea is presently the best Asian team by far, and also historically.

The question I'd like to ask is, do the FIFA rankings really matter? Or are they just a display to boost morale to the football media and fans?

 

[Power King]

FIFA rankings always have been and always will be irrelevant.

 

[DB10]

FIFA's rankings matter because that's how they determine seedings when allocating teams into pots to make groups for tournaments. Australia might be the #1 ranked AFC team according to FIFA but, when being allocated into a qualifying group or whatever, they're put together with South Korea and Japan anyway. it doesn't really matter as long as you're in the first pot.

 

[belfast_bomber]

A more reliable source has to be the Elo rankings:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Football_Elo_Ratings#Top_60_ranking

The what?

What does Jeff Lynne know about football?