For those of you who aren't football (soccer) fans out there, it's time to address an issue that has become quite nagging: the FIFA World Rankings. To put it in perspective for the non-football (soccer) fans, the FIFA World Rankings are as embarrassing as the BCS. For example, Mexico, who advanced to the round of 16 at the World Cup, fell seven spots. Meanwhile, Greece, who only beat Nigeria in the World Cup and failed to advance out of their group, somehow rose one position. So with that in mind, it's time to release my own power rankings to bring some sense to the football (soccer) world. So without further ado, here are my rankings of the top 30 teams in the world with their current FIFA ranking in parentheses.
1. Spain (1): It is near impossible to get Spain out of their style and tempo. Switzerland showed that the only way to do so is by scoring first.
2. Germany (4): With their youth and explosiveness, Germany is only going to get better. Expect them to be the favorite in Poland/Ukraine two summers from now.
3. Netherlands (2): The Dutch finally broke through on the world stage in South Africa. Don't expect them to leave the limelight anytime soon.
4. Brazil (3): Talent wise, Brazil is as good as any team in the world. But they didn't show that in the World Cup.
5. Argentina (5): (see directly above)
6. Uruguay (6): The drop off after Argentina is significant. Uruguay gets the nod with an impressive World Cup campaign.
7. Russia (17): I know what you're saying. "They didn't even qualify for the World Cup." Don't forget that Russia almost topped Germany to win their group in World Cup qualifying. They will be a force in Euro 2012.
8. Portugal (8): Portugal has one of the best defenses in the world, but their offense is absolutely abysmal. Their only goals in South Africa came against lowly North Korea.
9. Chile (10): They didn't show off how explosive they are on offense during the World Cup, but they still advanced to the knockout stages and gave Spain a run for their money in Group H.
10. Mexico (24): This team is only going to get better. Javier (Chicharito) Hernandez and Giovanni Dos Santos represent the very bright future for Mexico.
11. Ghana (23): Yes, they are a young team that made it all the way to the quarterfinals, but the Ghanaians scored most of their goals from the penalty spot.
12. Croatia (15): They failed to qualify for South Africa, but Croatia will be back on the world stage in two summers. Their qualifying group for Euro 2012 is more than manageable.
13. USA (13): The key for the United States in the upcoming years will be turnover. Odds are Donovan, Dempsey, and Howard won't be around in 2014.
14. Egypt (9): Despite their failure to qualify for the World Cup, Egypt is arguably the best team on the continent.
15. England (7): The Three Lions have no leadership, no chemistry, and no consistent goal scorer. Fabio Capello made many poor choices leading up to and during the World Cup. He won't be allowed to make many more before he loses his job.
16. Australia (20): Take a closer look at their matches in South Africa. After losing to Germany, they had the lead against Ghana and drew because of a red card, and beat a decent Serbia team 2-1. The Socceroos are better than people give them credit.
17. Paraguay (16): Paraguay benefited from an easy draw and got all the way to the quarterfinals in South Africa. If they were in any other group, they would have had trouble advancing to the knockout stages.
18. Slovakia (27): They have enough talent to match their success in South Africa two years from now. Marek Hamsik is one of the brightest young players in the world today.
19. Japan (32): Surprised many by making it out of Group E. The Japanese play an enjoyable style of football (soccer) and will rival Australia as the best team in Asia.
20. Switzerland (18): Switzerland can only play one style and that is put ten players in front of the ball and hope for a draw or a lucky 1-0 victory. Until they learn another to win, they won't progress deep into an international tournament.
21. Denmark (29): Couldn't follow up an impressive World Cup qualifying campaign in South Africa. With Bendtner, Kjaer, and Agger, the Danes still have the talent to qualify for Euro 2012.
22. Ivory Coast (26): Probably could have advanced to the knockout stages if they weren't in a group with Brazil and Portugal.
23. Italy (11): A despicable performance by the Azzurri in their World Cup title defense. They looked old and slow in every match. With a lack of young talent on the horizon, it could be awhile before Italy becomes a legitimate threat again.
24. Korea Republic (44): Just like Japan, Korea Republic surprised many by making it to the knockout stages. They are far better than their FIFA ranking suggests.
25. Serbia (13): One of the biggest underachievers in South Africa. Many people had high hopes for Serbia in the World Cup and even though they knocked off Germany, they failed to score goals at even strength.
26. Turkey (28): The Turks had a reasonable qualifying group for the World Cup but still failed to qualify. However, teams shouldn't take them for granted though going forward.
27. Slovenia (19): Although they are not as good as their FIFA ranking, Slovenia has proved that they are not to be taken lightly on the international stage. Remember, they were a Landon Donovan goal in the 91st minute away from advancing to the knockout stages.
28. France (21): Talent wise, France is worthy of a ranking in the top 15. But their chemistry issues are worse than any teams in the world. New coach Laurent Blanc has a lot of work to do.
29. Republic of Ireland (36): The most controversial team not to make the World Cup should be motivated to show they are worthy for a spot in Euro 2012.
30. Sweden (35): Usually a lock to make the World Cup, the Swedes fell short in 2010. Because they have a veteran squad, Euro 2012 could be their last chance to make an international tournament for awhile.
