The Brazilian team ended the year in second place in the FIFA ranking, with 1826.35 points, just behind Belgium, which for the fourth consecutive year ended the season in the lead, with 1828.45. France, in third, completed the 2021 podium with 1786.15 points.
Canada (40th) had the biggest evolution of the year, having collected 130.32 points in the last twelve months. The journey to the 2021 Gold Cup semifinals and the good results achieved in the Qatar World Cup Qualifiers in 2022 were decisive for the country to move up in the rankings.
Italy (6th) and Argentina (5th), champions of the Euro Cup and Copa América, also increased their scores considerably this year (+115.77 and +108.51 points, respectively).
The same can be said of the United States (11th), which scored more than 103.51 points, and England (4th) with more than 85.52. Equatorial Guinea (114th) gained 59.78 points, having the highest rise among African countries, while Saudi Arabia (51st), with over 81.71, is the Asian team that made the most progress in 2021.
As a result of the covid-19 virus pandemic, there were 352 matches between national teams in 2020. Since 1987, when there were 323, there have never been so few matches in a year. In 2021, however, teams participated in 1,116 matches, a record.
Check out the top ten in the FIFA rankings in 2021:
1 – Belgium (1828.45)
2 – Brazil (1826.35)
3 – France (1786.15)
4 – England (1755.52)
5 – Argentina (1755.52)
6 – Italy (1740.77)
7 – Spain (1704.75)
8 – Portugal (1660.25)
9 – Denmark (1654.54)
10 – Holland (1653.73)
Ricardo is a renowned author and journalist, known for his exceptional writing on top-news stories. He currently works as a writer at the 247 News Agency, where he is known for his ability to deliver breaking news and insightful analysis on the most pressing issues of the day.
