FIFA World Cup 2010 rankings 1
1. Brazil (last ranking: 3) – Bounced back from a slow start with a win over Ivory Coast and cruised easily into the second round with a game to spare.
2. Argentina (1) – The most gifted attacking lineup of this tournament, lit up by Lionel Messi’s magic.
3. Netherlands (4) – Nothing flashy so far but few teams look more stable or comfortable.
4. Portugal (11) – Exploded to life with a 7-0 thrashing of North Korea and is back on course.
5. Spain (8) – Still a class act despite opening upset loss to Switzerland.
6. Mexico (10) – Nervous in their opener, the Mexicans tore France apart and are being spurred by Giovani Dos Santos.
7. Uruguay (12) – Strong and tough and capable of riding the Diego Forlan juggernaut.
8. Chile (13) – Two-for-two for South America’s best-kept secret.
9. Paraguay (14) – Can top Group F and set up an easier path in the next round.
10. Germany (2) – A huge drop after losing to Serbia and now must beat Ghana or go home.
11. Italy (9) – The defending champs are looking weak and disjointed after two draws, but they can never be discounted.
12. Denmark (24) – Won one of the best games of the tournament by defeating Cameroon 2-1.
13. England (6) – Fans in the locker room and now a player mutiny … it’s all going wrong.
14. United States (15) – The Americans have a simple equation: Win over Algeria = Round of 16.
15. Serbia (27) – Kept itself alive by beating the Germans and now should reach the knockout stage.
16. Switzerland (7) – Disappointing response against Chile after shocking Spain in its opening game.
17. Ghana (17) – Controls its destiny but needs a result against Germany to survive.
18. Japan (18) – Facing a showdown with Denmark for a place in the last 16.
19. Slovenia (19) – Physical, aggressive and lucky to escape with a point against the USA.
20. Greece (20) – Strong response against Nigeria kept the Greeks’ hopes alive.
21. Ivory Coast (5) – Destined to be the odd man out in the Group of Death.
22. South Korea (16) – Mixed results so far but should do enough to go through.
23. New Zealand (26) – Limited but tenacious side produced a magnificent effort to tie Italy.
24. Algeria (29) – Tough defense earned the Algerians a draw against England, but they’re short on attacking threats.
25. Slovakia (23) – Great in European qualifying but overwhelmed and outclassed here.
26. Australia (32) – Improved from an abysmal start to the tournament.
27. South Africa (31) – A lack of spirit ruined Bafana’s chances of emerging from Group A.
28. Nigeria (30) – Perhaps the most disappointing of all the African nations here.
29. France (22) – A collection of arrogant individuals who will soon get the early exit they deserve.
30. Honduras (28) – Brave and committed but not of World Cup quality.
31. Cameroon (25) – Already eliminated after two defeats.
32. North Korea (21) – Early promise quashed by a brutal drubbing from Portugal.