International Football
FIFA’S NOVEMBER RANKING TO RIDICLE NIGERIA’S HUMILATION OF ARGENTINA
BY KUNLE SOLAJA.
A big surprise is in the offing when FIFA releases this month’s ranking next week Thursday.
Playing against and heavily defeating the fourth ranked football team in the world may not have significantly impacted on Nigeria’s FIFA ranking.
In the October ranking, Nigeria had 721 points and had since played two matches, drawing 1-1 away with Algeria and beating former World Cup holders, Argentina 4-2 earlier this week in Russia.
Many would have expected Nigeria’s point-haul to rise and consequently lifting the country higher from the current 41st position, but the reverse appears to be case when the November ranking will be released on November 23.
Sports Village Square’ s check at the ranking prognosis shows that Nigeria has lost weight, dropping from 721 points to 671 despite not losing any match since the last ranking and also beating a far higher ranked Argentina.
The South Americans are currently fourth ranked in the world and have 1445 points.
Expectedly, the defeat by Nigeria on Tuesday affected Argentina’s point haul for November which fall slightly to 1348 when compared to the points their conquerors, the Super Eagles have lost.
Cameroon, currently ranked next to Nigeria at 42nd position will overtake the Super Eagles when the November rankings are released. Cameroon last weekend drew 2-2 with lower ranked Zambia but will have 696 points as against 671 that Nigeria will get.
Most football analysts have often kicked against the FIFA ranking claiming that it is disproportional and does not often represent the relative strength of teams.
Owing to this, alternative rankings by football statisticians, such as that of World Football Elo Ratings and the rec.sport.soccer Statistics Foundation rankings, have emerged.
According to an Associated Press (AP) report in June 2006 when the US team was ranked fourth in the world in April 2006, even their players were shocked and felt flattered! That was even after they were beaten 4-1 by Germany.
The ranking started in December 1992 and had been subject of intense debate. On at least two instances, FIFA has had to adjust the yardsticks.
According to FIFA’s explanations, the basic logic of the “calculation is simple: any team that does well in world football wins points which enable it to climb the world ranking.
“ A team’s total number of points over a four-year period is determined by adding the average number of points gained from matches during the past 12 months and the average number of points gained from matches older than 12 months (depreciates yearly)”.
Therefore, calculation for a single match is determined by four factors – result, importance of the match, strength of the opposing team in ranking and geographical location (confederation). On location, teams in confederations like UEFA and Conmebol enjoy higher rating on account that they are stronger.
So on account of these, the factors are brought together in the following formula to ascertain points per match:
P (point) =M (result) x I (importance of the match) x T (strength of opponent) x C (confederation).
So, “the number of points that can be won in a match depends on the following factors:
- Was the match won or drawn? (M)
- How important was the match (ranging from a friendly match to a FIFA World Cup match)? (I) How strong was the opposing team in terms of ranking position and the confederation to which they belong? (T and C)
“These factors are brought together in the following formula to ascertain the total number of points (P): P = M x I x T x C”
“The following criteria apply to the calculation of points:
M: Points for match result
Teams gain 3 points for a victory, 1 point for a draw and 0 points for a defeat.
‘In a penalty shoot-out, the winning team gains 2 points and the losing team gains 1 point.
“I: Importance of match – “Friendly match (including small competitions): I = 1.0. FIFA World Cup qualifier or confederation-level qualifier: I = 2.5
“Confederation-level final competition or FIFA Confederations Cup: I = 3.0
FIFA World Cup final competition: I = 4.0
“T: Strength of opposing team. The strength of the opponents is based on the formula: 200 – the ranking position of the opponents.
“As an exception to this formula, the team at the top of the ranking is always assigned the value 200 and the teams ranked 150th and below are assigned a minimum value of 50.
“The ranking position is taken from the opponents’ ranking in the most recently published FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking.
“C: Strength of confederation
“When calculating matches between teams from different confederations, the mean value of the confederations to which the two competing teams belong is used.
“The strength of a confederation is calculated on the basis of the number of victories by that confederation at the last three FIFA World Cup competitions “Their values are as follows:
- CONMEBOL 1.00
- UEFA 0.99
- AFC/CAF/OFC/CONCACAF 0.85
Representatives from four national players’ unions on Thursday launched a new global organisation in Madrid, which they say will strengthen footballers’ rights and improve dialogue with governing bodies.
Opening a new front in the battle over who speaks for players, the International Footballers’ Association (AIF) was unveiled, with David Aganzo, president of Spain’s Association of Footballers (AFE) and a former head of the global union FIFPRO, appointed to lead the organisation.
Players’ unions from Brazil, Mexico and Switzerland were also represented.
The initiative drew a swift rebuke from FIFPRO, which said in a statement that Aganzo was acting out of self-interest and aligning himself with organisations linked to football governing bodies, as well as groups expelled from FIFPRO over alleged mismanagement.
Aganzo rejected the criticism, saying he “will not seek confrontation with FIFPRO”.
The launch comes amid strained relations between players’ unions and football authorities, particularly over the expanding international match calendar.
Relations between FIFA and FIFPRO deteriorated in 2024 after the union lodged a complaint with the European Commission, arguing that the global governing body was abusing its dominant position by adding competitions without sufficient consultation.
Aganzo denied suggestions that the new initiative was backed by FIFA president Gianni Infantino, but said “direct dialogue with FIFA” was essential.
AFE’s Extraordinary General Assembly approved the initiative in February with 99.8% of votes cast in favour of spearheading the creation of the AIF.
The same assembly also backed AFE’s withdrawal from FIFPRO, citing what it described as a “complete lack of transparency, as well as its total lack of dialogue with international bodies.”
“We represent over 30,000 footballers, and we come here with a new model aimed at safeguarding players’ rights and facilitating direct communication with all international bodies,” Aganzo told reporters.
“We are in contact with 15 to 20 unions already who were very aware of this moment and waiting for this announcement to make their move and join our initiative.”
He declined to identify any unions beyond those present.
Asked about a report that a senior envoy to U.S. President Donald Trump had urged FIFA to replace Iran with Italy at the upcoming World Cup, Aganzo urged caution.
“These are more political issues; on April 30th, I’ll be speaking to Gianni (Infantino) at the FIFA Congress, and we will discuss those things,” Aganzo said.
“People who want to go to the World Cup have to earn their place on sporting merit.”
-Reuters
Join the Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H
A new trial over the death of Argentine soccer legend Diego Maradona will begin on Tuesday, with seven members of his medical team charged with negligent homicide nearly a year after a previous case collapsed in a mistrial.
An enduring presence in Argentina – from towering murals to tattoos, opens new tab – Maradona died on November 25, 2020, at 60, after a heart attack while he was recuperating from brain surgery to remove a blood clot.
A court in San Isidro, near Buenos Aires, will hear testimony from just under 100 witnesses as it tries Maradona’s medical team over alleged negligence in the death of the 1986 World Cup champion.
His medical team has denied wrongdoing. The defendants are psychiatrist Agustina Cosachov, neurosurgeon Leopoldo Luque, psychologist Carlos Angel Diaz, physician Nancy Edith Forlini, nurse Ricardo Almiron, head nurse Mariano Ariel Perroni, and physician Pedro Pablo Di Spagna. An eighth defendant, nurse Dahiana Madrid, will be tried in a separate jury trial, with no date yet set.
Two months into the first trial, which started last March, a mistrial was declared when one of three judges, Julieta Makintach, resigned after video surfaced showing her being interviewed by a camera crew in the corridors of the courthouse and in her office as part of a documentary, in breach of judicial rules.
The retrial will require both prosecutors and defense lawyers to reassess their strategies after the first trial aired photographs, videos, audio recordings and forensic evidence. Many witnesses, including Maradona’s children and his former wife, Claudia Villafane, have already testified.
Prosecutors argued in the initial trial that medical professionals broke treatment protocols and that the home where Maradona was recovering from surgery amounted to a “theatre of horror,” where necessary care was not provided.
The defense countered that his death was inevitable given his longstanding health problems. Maradona struggled for decades with cocaine and alcohol addiction.
The negligence charges emerged in 2021 after prosecutors appointed a medical board to investigate Maradona’s death. The panel concluded his medical team acted in an “inappropriate, deficient and reckless” manner.
-Reuters
Join the Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H
Aliou Cisse has been named coach of the Angola national team, the country’s football federation (FAF) announced on Thursday, 24 hours after the Senegalese left his post in Libya.
The 50-year-old coach, who led Senegal to their maiden Africa Cup of Nations title in 2022, ended his short stint with the Libyan national team on Wednesday, after taking charge in March 2025.
“Welcome, Aliou Cisse, head coach of the Angola national team,” the FAF said on Facebook. Angola, which failed to reach this year’s World Cup, will start their 2027 AFCON qualifying campaign in September.
-Reuters
Join the Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H
Free Soccer-Themed Condoms to Welcome World Cup Fans
Magic Johnson Leads Campaign to Showcase Los Angeles Ahead of World Cup
Fallen Giants: Club Enyimba Beat for Historic CAF Title Suffers Relegation in Egypt
Breaking! Uzoho suspended from Super Eagles’ next match with Sierra Leone
No longer Super League as CAF changes name of its new clubs competition
NIGERIAN FOOTBALL CHIEF EXECUTIVE, SANUSI CHARGES NIGERIAN COACHES TO BE UPRIGHT, DILIGENT
- World Cup5 days ago
FIFA Plans Three Opening Ceremonies in All Host Nations for 2026 World Cup
- World Cup4 days ago
United States Unveils Hollywood-Style FIFA World Cup 2026 Opening Ceremony
- World Cup4 days ago
Mexico president wavers on plan to cut school year by 40 days for the World Cup
- World Cup5 days ago
Burna Boy Joins Shakira for Official 2026 World Cup Song ‘Dai Dai’
- World Cup1 week ago
Despite 2026 Absence, Nigeria Still Leads Africa’s World Cup Winners’ Chart
- Premier League5 days ago
Man United’s Fernandes and City’s Shaw win FWA Footballer of the Year awards
- Nigerian Football5 days ago
Sporting Lagos Crowned 2026 NNL Champions After Dramatic Super Four Finale
- Premier League2 days ago
Arsenal survive huge scare to edge towards title