The ranking for each year
is as at 31 July.
A yellow
background highlights the top team, green highlights those teams that are in
a higher position than the previous year and red highlights those that are
in a lower position than the previous year. A yellow number indicates the
team's highest ever ranking at that time. |
Country |
1966 |
1967 |
1968 |
1969 |
1970 |
1971 |
1972 |
1973 |
1974 |
1975 |
1976 |
1977 |
1978 |
Argentina |
G2 |
G2 |
G2 |
G2 |
G3 |
G3 |
G2 |
G2 |
G2 |
G2 |
G2 |
3 |
1 |
Brazil |
- |
- |
- |
- |
1 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
4 |
G2 |
4 |
G2 |
3 |
DPR Korea |
G2 |
G2 |
G2 |
G2 |
G3 |
G3 |
G3 |
G3 |
G4 |
G4 |
G4 |
G4 |
G5 |
England |
1 |
1 |
2 |
2 |
G2 |
G2 |
G2 |
G2 |
G3 |
G3 |
G3 |
G4 |
G5 |
German
Democratic Republic |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
G2 |
G2 |
G3 |
G3 |
G4 |
Hungary |
G2 |
G2 |
G2 |
G2 |
G3 |
G3 |
G3 |
G3 |
G4 |
G4 |
G4 |
G4 |
G5 |
Italy |
- |
- |
- |
- |
2 |
2 |
2 |
1 |
G3 |
G4 |
G4 |
G4 |
4 |
Mexico |
- |
- |
- |
- |
G2 |
G2 |
G2 |
G2 |
G3 |
G3 |
G2 |
G2 |
G4 |
Netherlands |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
2 |
3 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
Peru |
- |
- |
- |
- |
G2 |
G2 |
G2 |
G2 |
G3 |
G3 |
G3 |
G3 |
G2 |
Poland |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
3 |
4 |
G2 |
G2 |
G2 |
Portugal |
3 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
G3 |
G3 |
G3 |
G3 |
G4 |
G4 |
G4 |
G3 |
G4 |
Sweden |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
G2 |
G2 |
G2 |
G2 |
G3 |
Uruguay |
G2 |
G2 |
G2 |
G2 |
4 |
4 |
4 |
4 |
G3 |
G3 |
G3 |
G3 |
G4 |
USSR |
4 |
4 |
4 |
4 |
G2 |
G2 |
G3 |
G3 |
G4 |
G3 |
G3 |
G3 |
G4 |
West Germany |
2 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
G2 |
Yugoslavia |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
G2 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
G3 |
Games
included in the statistics below are those where a country has challenged a team
above them (Won or Failed)
and those where
they have been challenged by a team below them (Lost or Held).
Performance Statistics 1966-68 |
|
Rank |
Challenges |
Challenged |
Rank |
Challenges |
Challenged |
Rank |
Country |
1966 |
Won |
Failed |
Lost |
Held |
1967 |
Won |
Failed |
Lost |
Held |
1968 |
Argentina |
G2 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
G2 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
G2 |
DPR Korea |
G2 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
G2 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
G2 |
England |
1 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
1 |
- |
- |
1 |
2 |
2 |
Hungary |
G2 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
G2 |
1 |
- |
1 |
- |
G2 |
Portugal |
3 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
3 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
3 |
Uruguay |
G2 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
G2 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
G2 |
USSR |
4 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
4 |
1 |
2 |
1 |
- |
4 |
West Germany |
2 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
2 |
1 |
- |
- |
- |
1 |
The top four teams
from the 1966 World Cup did not play each other and did not play any of
the beaten World Cup quarter-finalists
in 1966-67
and so the rankings remained the same on 31 July 1967 as they had been a
year earlier.
Team of the Season 1967-68
- WEST GERMANY
Took the top
spot from England by gaining revenge for their World Cup Final defeat in 1966.
Performance Statistics 1968-70 |
|
Rank |
Challenges |
Challenged |
Rank |
Challenges |
Challenged |
Rank |
Country |
1968 |
Won |
Failed |
Lost |
Held |
1969 |
Won |
Failed |
Lost |
Held |
1970 |
Argentina |
G2 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
G2 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
G3 |
DPR Korea |
G2 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
G2 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
G3 |
England |
2 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
2 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
G2 |
Hungary |
G2 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
G2 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
G3 |
Portugal |
3 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
3 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
G3 |
Uruguay |
G2 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
G2 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
4 |
USSR |
4 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
4 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
G2 |
West Germany |
1 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
1 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
3 |
There were no
meetings at all between any of the top four and the teams in the group
below them, between
1 August
1968 and the 1970 World Cup.
Performance Statistics 1970-72 |
|
Rank |
Challenges |
Challenged |
Rank |
Challenges |
Challenged |
Rank |
Country |
1970 |
Won |
Failed |
Lost |
Held |
1971 |
Won |
Failed |
Lost |
Held |
1972 |
Argentina |
G3 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
G3 |
1 |
- |
- |
- |
G2 |
Brazil |
1 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
1 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
1 |
DPR Korea |
G3 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
G3 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
G3 |
England |
G2 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
G2 |
- |
2 |
- |
- |
G2 |
Hungary |
G3 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
G3 |
- |
1 |
- |
- |
G3 |
Italy |
2 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
2 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
2 |
Mexico |
G2 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
G2 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
G2 |
Peru |
G2 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
G2 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
G2 |
Portugal |
G3 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
G3 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
G3 |
Uruguay |
4 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
4 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
4 |
USSR |
G2 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
G2 |
- |
1 |
1 |
1 |
G3 |
West Germany |
3 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
3 |
- |
- |
- |
3 |
3 |
There were no
meetings at all between any of the top four and the teams in the group
below them, nor between the teams
in Groups Two and Three in 1970-71 and so the rankings remained the same
on 31 July 1971 as they had been a year earlier.
Team of the Season 1971-72
- ARGENTINA
Rose back up to
Group 2 by beating the USSR in Brazil.
West Germany resisted three
challenges, but held on to third place by winning the European Championship,
defeating England
on aggregate (a win and a draw)
in the quarter-final and the USSR in the final.
Performance Statistics 1972-74 |
|
Rank |
Challenges |
Challenged |
Rank |
Challenges |
Challenged |
Rank |
Country |
1972 |
Won |
Failed |
Lost |
Held |
1973 |
Won |
Failed |
Lost |
Held |
1974 |
Argentina |
G2 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
G2 |
- |
1 |
- |
- |
G2 |
Brazil |
1 |
- |
- |
1 |
1 |
2 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
4 |
DPR Korea |
G3 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
G3 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
G4 |
England |
G2 |
- |
1 |
- |
1 |
G2 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
G3 |
Hungary |
G3 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
G3 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
G4 |
Italy |
2 |
1 |
- |
- |
1 |
1 |
- |
- |
- |
2 |
G3 |
Mexico |
G2 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
G2 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
G3 |
Peru |
G2 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
G2 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
G3 |
Portugal |
G3 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
G3 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
G4 |
Uruguay |
4 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
4 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
G3 |
USSR |
G3 |
- |
1 |
- |
- |
G3 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
G4 |
West Germany |
3 |
- |
1 |
- |
- |
3 |
- |
1 |
- |
- |
1 |
Team of the Season
1972-73 - ITALY
Took the top
spot from Brazil in Rome and then resisted a challenge by beating
England, five days later, in Turin.
Team of the Season
1973-74 - ITALY
There were only
two challenges in
the 1973-74 season. Italy held off West Germany in a goalless draw in Rome,
and
then also
resisted Argentina before eventually losing
their top
spot in the World Cup, when Poland defeated them in Stuttgart
at the end of the
first group stage.
Performance Statistics 1974-76 |
|
Rank |
Challenges |
Challenged |
Rank |
Challenges |
Challenged |
Rank |
Country |
1974 |
Won |
Failed |
Lost |
Held |
1975 |
Won |
Failed |
Lost |
Held |
1976 |
Argentina |
G2 |
- |
- |
- |
1 |
G2 |
1 |
- |
1 |
2 |
G2 |
Brazil |
4 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
G2 |
2 |
- |
1 |
3 |
4 |
DPR Korea |
G4 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
G4 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
G4 |
England |
G3 |
- |
- |
- |
1 |
G3 |
- |
- |
- |
2 |
G3 |
German
Democratic Republic |
G2 |
1 |
- |
1 |
- |
G2 |
- |
- |
1 |
2 |
G3 |
Hungary |
G4 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
G4 |
- |
1 |
- |
- |
G4 |
Italy |
G3 |
- |
1 |
1 |
- |
G4 |
- |
1 |
- |
- |
G4 |
Mexico |
G3 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
G3 |
1 |
3 |
- |
- |
G2 |
Netherlands |
2 |
- |
1 |
1 |
1 |
3 |
2 |
- |
1 |
- |
2 |
Peru |
G3 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
G3 |
1 |
- |
1 |
- |
G3 |
Poland |
3 |
1 |
- |
1 |
- |
4 |
1 |
- |
2 |
- |
G2 |
Portugal |
G4 |
- |
1 |
- |
- |
G4 |
- |
1 |
- |
- |
G4 |
Sweden |
G2 |
- |
2 |
- |
- |
G2 |
- |
1 |
- |
- |
G2 |
Uruguay |
G3 |
- |
1 |
- |
- |
G3 |
- |
3 |
- |
- |
G3 |
USSR |
G4 |
1 |
- |
- |
- |
G3 |
- |
1 |
- |
1 |
G3 |
West Germany |
1 |
- |
- |
- |
1 |
1 |
- |
- |
- |
1 |
1 |
Yugoslavia |
G2 |
1 |
- |
- |
2 |
2 |
- |
1 |
1 |
1 |
3 |
Team of the Season
1974-75 - YUGOSLAVIA
Beat World Cup
finalists, the Netherlands, 3-0, to take over second spot, and also beat
off challenges with victories against
Italy (in
Zagreb) and Sweden (away in Stockholm).
Team of the Season 1975-76
- BRAZIL
Started
the season badly when a home defeat to Peru in the
Copa América
semi-finals demoted them to Group 3, but this was
quickly
reversed, four days later,
in the second leg in Lima. Brazil then went on to defeat challenges from Uruguay
(twice) and
Mexico,
and climbed again, to fourth spot, with victory against Argentina.
The Netherlands also
climbed twice, after a 4-1 loss to Poland dropped them to fourth, but a 3-0 win
in the return fixture,
five
weeks later, reversed their positions. At the end of the season, the Netherlands
defeated hosts, Yugoslavia to take third
place in the
European Championship which took them back up to second in the rankings.
Performance Statistics 1976-78 |
|
Rank |
Challenges |
Challenged |
Rank |
Challenges |
Challenged |
Rank |
Country |
1976 |
Won |
Failed |
Lost |
Held |
1977 |
Won |
Failed |
Lost |
Held |
1978 |
Argentina |
G2 |
1 |
1 |
- |
3 |
3 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
1 |
Brazil |
4 |
- |
2 |
- |
1 |
G2 |
1 |
- |
- |
2 |
3 |
DPR Korea |
G4 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
G4 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
G5 |
England |
G3 |
- |
1 |
1 |
- |
G4 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
G5 |
German
Democratic Republic |
G3 |
- |
- |
- |
1 |
G3 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
G4 |
Hungary |
G4 |
1 |
2 |
1 |
- |
G4 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
G5 |
Italy |
G4 |
1 |
- |
1 |
- |
G4 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
4 |
Mexico |
G2 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
- |
G2 |
- |
- |
1 |
- |
G4 |
Netherlands |
2 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
2 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
2 |
Peru |
G3 |
- |
4 |
- |
1 |
G3 |
1 |
1 |
- |
- |
G2 |
Poland |
G2 |
- |
- |
- |
1 |
G2 |
- |
1 |
- |
- |
G2 |
Portugal |
G4 |
1 |
- |
- |
- |
G3 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
G4 |
Sweden |
G2 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
G2 |
1 |
1 |
- |
- |
G3 |
Uruguay |
G3 |
- |
- |
- |
1 |
G3 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
G4 |
USSR |
G3 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
- |
G3 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
G4 |
West Germany |
1 |
- |
- |
- |
4 |
1 |
- |
- |
2 |
1 |
G2 |
Yugoslavia |
3 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
1 |
4 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
G3 |
Team of the Season
1976-77 - ARGENTINA
After holding
off challenges from Peru (twice) and the USSR, and then failing to oust
the top team (West Germany), Argentina finally
took their
chance and moved up to third with victory against Yugoslavia.
West Germany
resisted four attempts to topple them from the top spot, all away from
home. They defeated Yugoslavia and Argentina,
and drew with
Brazil and Mexico.
Team of the Season 1977-78
- BRAZIL
Following
four years at the top, since winning the last World Cup, West Germany's reign
came to an end, just under two months
before their
defence of the World Cup, when they lost 1-0 to Brazil in Hamburg. The
Brazilians then defeated Peru's challenge, just
a month before the
tournament. They began the World Cup by holding off the new second-place
holders, Sweden and remained unbeaten
in Argentina,
but it was the hosts that
eventually wrested the title from them on goal
difference, before lifting the trophy and top spot
themselves.
DPR Korea did not
play any teams in these rankings after the 1966 World Cup and,
consequently, dropped down a group after each
subsequent World
Cup tournament.