How the FIFA Ranking Works
Since 2018 FIFA has used a SUM (Elo-style) method for the men's world ranking. After each counted match, points are added or subtracted from a team's total. They are not averaged over a multi-year window like the pre-2018 system.
This guide covers the formula, the pieces I, W, and We, penalty shoot-outs, the publication schedule, and how to try the numbers in the calculator.
The SUM formula
New points are calculated as P = Pbefore + I x (W - We).
If a team outperforms expectations (W greater than We), it gains points. If it underperforms, it loses points. Stronger teams gain less for beating weaker sides, and weaker teams gain more for an upset.
For a points-focused walkthrough, see FIFA ranking points. For the Elo comparison, see Elo rating in football.
Expected result (We)
We is the expected share of the result for Team A:
We = 1 / (10-dr/600 + 1) where dr is the points difference (Team A minus Team B).
Team B's expected share is 1 - We. The divisor 600 is FIFA's scaling constant for this Elo adaptation.
Match importance (I)
I scales how many points are at stake. Friendlies use low values; World Cup knockouts use the highest.
See the full table on the match importance page, or pick I directly in the FIFA ranking calculator.
- Friendly outside the calendar window: 5
- Friendly inside the window: 10
- Nations League group stage: 15
- Confederations Cup, Nations League finals, and World Cup / continental qualifiers: 25
- Continental final tournament through the round of 16: 35
- Continental final tournament from the quarter-finals: 40
- FIFA World Cup through the round of 16: 50
- FIFA World Cup from the quarter-finals: 60
Penalty shoot-outs
For matches decided on penalties, FIFA assigns W = 0.75 to the winner and W = 0.50 to the loser. That sums to 1.25 and creates a small points inflation by design.
Regulation or extra-time wins still use W = 1.0 / 0.0, and draws use 0.5 / 0.5. More detail: penalty shoot-outs blog post.
Worked intuition
A top side facing a much lower-rated opponent in a friendly (small I, high expected win probability) adds few points for a routine win.
Flip it: the underdog wins a World Cup knockout (large I, low We for the underdog). The point swing is large, which is the ranking drama fans notice after tournament nights.
Use the calculator's win/draw/loss compare panel to see those differences without doing the algebra by hand.
When the official table updates
FIFA publishes the official ranking on a fixed schedule, typically every few weeks after an international window, not after every single match.
The points in the calculator are FIFA's live totals, so they already include matches counted since that official list. You can still project one more match. Official, live, and projected ranks are explained on live FIFA ranking and current FIFA ranking.
Teams and confederations
Every association in the men's ranking has a country page under /teams/. Confederation lists live at /rankings/uefa/ and sibling paths.
FAQs
It is Elo-inspired. FIFA chose its own importance weights, the 600 scaling constant, and special W values for penalty shoot-outs.
Rank is the sorted order of points. Neighbors can gain at the same time. Check previous points and movement on the rankings table or country page.