England Football Online
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FIFA Rankings Overview

Index

Matches 1966-78

England Football Online
World Rankings
1978-90 2002-14
1990-2002 2014-26
Summary 1966-78
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.

GI