My personal Top 30 national teams

[TommyChat]

Luxembourg? Kazakhstan?

Well, Kazakhstan finished bottom of their World Cup qualifying group and were on the receiving end of a 8-0 drubbing. They changed their coach since and have been getting very good results lately. Still I don't see them anywhere close to consider them for the top 30. This is also a team that lost lately to two AFC sides in Uzbekistan and UAE in friendlies. While friendlies aren't my main criteria I can't discard them fully either. Kazakhstan need to show much more consistency before we can even debate about them being close to top 30.

As for Luxembourg they are in a very lenient group for the EURO qualifiers. I think the group in which they play in makes them looking good. Luxembourg used to be a minnow in UEFA up until maybe 7 years ago. They climbed up the ladder but considering them for the top 30 is absolutely a bridge too far.

Kazakhstan beat Euro Semi-finalists Denmark and I expect them to make their Euro debut.

Luxembourg have shown some quality and I see them making it to Germany through the play-offs if not automatically in the top 2!

They are doing good recently and have chances but remember that the 6-team groups don't have a team that, except the top seeds, made top 2 in their WCQ groups.

[Jackson Harrison]

Well, Kazakhstan finished bottom of their World Cup qualifying group and were on the receiving end of a 8-0 drubbing. They changed their coach since and have been getting very good results lately. Still I don't see them anywhere close to consider them for the top 30. This is also a team that lost lately to two AFC sides in Uzbekistan and UAE in friendlies. While friendlies aren't my main criteria I can't discard them fully either. Kazakhstan need to show much more consistency before we can even debate about them being close to top 30.

As for Luxembourg they are in a very lenient group for the EURO qualifiers. I think the group in which they play in makes them looking good. Luxembourg used to be a minnow in UEFA up until maybe 7 years ago. They climbed up the ladder but considering them for the top 30 is absolutely a bridge too far.

Kazakhstan beat Euro Semi-finalists Denmark and I expect them to make their Euro debut.

Luxembourg have shown some quality and I see them making it to Germany through the play-offs if not automatically in the top 2!

They are doing good recently and have chances but remember that the 6-team groups don't have a team that, except the top seeds, made top 2 in their WCQ groups.

With 16 European teams at WC I think they have a chance there as well! Gunna be interesting anyway! I see at least 3 debutants at Euro 2024!

[Kamtedrejt]

Luxembourg? Kazakhstan?

Well, Kazakhstan finished bottom of their World Cup qualifying group and were on the receiving end of a 8-0 drubbing. They changed their coach since and have been getting very good results lately. Still I don't see them anywhere close to consider them for the top 30. This is also a team that lost lately to two AFC sides in Uzbekistan and UAE in friendlies. While friendlies aren't my main criteria I can't discard them fully either. Kazakhstan need to show much more consistency before we can even debate about them being close to top 30.

As for Luxembourg they are in a very lenient group for the EURO qualifiers. I think the group in which they play in makes them looking good. Luxembourg used to be a minnow in UEFA up until maybe 7 years ago. They climbed up the ladder but considering them for the top 30 is absolutely a bridge too far.

Kazakhstan beat Euro Semi-finalists Denmark and I expect them to make their Euro debut.

Luxembourg have shown some quality and I see them making it to Germany through the play-offs if not automatically in the top 2!

Interesting. If they both actually make it to EURO 2024 then we have a real debate on our hands whether they are top 30 material. For now I see this as way premature.

[Kamtedrejt]

Luxembourg? Kazakhstan?

Well, Kazakhstan finished bottom of their World Cup qualifying group and were on the receiving end of a 8-0 drubbing. They changed their coach since and have been getting very good results lately. Still I don't see them anywhere close to consider them for the top 30. This is also a team that lost lately to two AFC sides in Uzbekistan and UAE in friendlies. While friendlies aren't my main criteria I can't discard them fully either. Kazakhstan need to show much more consistency before we can even debate about them being close to top 30.

As for Luxembourg they are in a very lenient group for the EURO qualifiers. I think the group in which they play in makes them looking good. Luxembourg used to be a minnow in UEFA up until maybe 7 years ago. They climbed up the ladder but considering them for the top 30 is absolutely a bridge too far.

Kazakhstan beat Euro Semi-finalists Denmark and I expect them to make their Euro debut.

Luxembourg have shown some quality and I see them making it to Germany through the play-offs if not automatically in the top 2!

Ireland would beat or at the very least tie both Kazakhstan and Luxemborug. Yes, odds are that Ireland won't qualify for EURO 2024 but they might get a lifeline via the playoffs if they are lucky. Ireland got screwed by the draw but that doesn't make them a bad team.

I will just give you how FIFA and ELO rank the two sides you brought up.

Kazakhstan

FIFA ______103.
ELO_______94.

Luxembourg

FIFA________89.
ELO________85.

Lokking at this I'm even more baffled now at how you brought these two teams into the conversation. Even if they somehow qualify for EURO 2024 I think it will still take more for them to get into my top 30. Both aren't even close for now.

[Jackson Harrison]

Well, Kazakhstan finished bottom of their World Cup qualifying group and were on the receiving end of a 8-0 drubbing. They changed their coach since and have been getting very good results lately. Still I don't see them anywhere close to consider them for the top 30. This is also a team that lost lately to two AFC sides in Uzbekistan and UAE in friendlies. While friendlies aren't my main criteria I can't discard them fully either. Kazakhstan need to show much more consistency before we can even debate about them being close to top 30.

As for Luxembourg they are in a very lenient group for the EURO qualifiers. I think the group in which they play in makes them looking good. Luxembourg used to be a minnow in UEFA up until maybe 7 years ago. They climbed up the ladder but considering them for the top 30 is absolutely a bridge too far.

Kazakhstan beat Euro Semi-finalists Denmark and I expect them to make their Euro debut.

Luxembourg have shown some quality and I see them making it to Germany through the play-offs if not automatically in the top 2!

Ireland would beat or at the very least tie both Kazakhstan and Luxemborug. Yes, odds are that Ireland won't qualify for EURO 2024 but they might get a lifeline via the playoffs if they are lucky. Ireland got screwed by the draw but that doesn't make them a bad team.

I will just give you how FIFA and ELO rank the two sides you brought up.

Kazakhstan

FIFA ______103.
ELO_______94.

Luxembourg

FIFA________89.
ELO________85.

Lokking at this I'm even more baffled now at how you brought these two teams into the conversation. Even if they somehow qualify for EURO 2024 I think it will still take more for them to get into my top 30. Both aren't even close for now.

I'm going to produce a ranking of teams based on their last 10 results watch this space...(I like fiddling around with excel creating rankings and stats )

[Lorric]

I'll give now six teams who have the potential to get into my top 30 in September if they do well.

Iran
Tunisia
Canada
Egypt
Greece
Ireland

You put a lot of value on beating higher teams, which I guess is why you have Greece and Ireland in there as they have two of them to play with as well as each other.

Canada, here's a question. Will you count bad Gold Cup results with their weakened team against them or disregard them? Canada aren't on my radar at all for top 32. Finland is probably the European team closest to the top 30 for me, with Serbia under threat of dropping out.

[Firnen]

Ireland is nowhere near top 30.
They aren't even in the top 30 of Europe.

[Lorric]

Ireland is nowhere near top 30.
They aren't even in the top 30 of Europe.

Oof. I don't rate them, but I don't think they're that bad.

[ultra2013]

Probably, the market value is the most accurate indicator of strength.
Unfortunately, in this link, https://www.transfermarkt.com/vereins-s ... d=0&plus=1, they use only the latest called squad, so outliers like USA being so low right now is because they sent a C-squad (EUR 95 m) to the latest Gold Cup, rahter than the Qatar squads (EUR 290 m)

[Kamtedrejt]

Ireland is nowhere near top 30.
They aren't even in the top 30 of Europe.

While I can understand that one wouldn't consider them for top 30 they surely are are top 30 in UEFA. If you don't think so come up with a list of your best 30 UEFA teams and let's have a debate!

[Kamtedrejt]

I'll give now six teams who have the potential to get into my top 30 in September if they do well.

Iran
Tunisia
Canada
Egypt
Greece
Ireland

You put a lot of value on beating higher teams, which I guess is why you have Greece and Ireland in there as they have two of them to play with as well as each other.

Canada, here's a question. Will you count bad Gold Cup results with their weakened team against them or disregard them? Canada aren't on my radar at all for top 32. Finland is probably the European team closest to the top 30 for me, with Serbia under threat of dropping out.

Yes for me beating teams on your level and above your level is a very important criteria.
If two teams compete with each other for one spot I'll take the side who had the better results against higher ranked nations lately. I don't value stat padding teams like Poland, Mexico, Chile, Mali, Qatar and China. All are notorious for beating only teams worse than them but struggle once they face equally or better ranked opposition.

Nah. The Gold Cup won't have much influence on my top 30. I discard the results of USA and Canada. Mexico sent their A squad other than Hirving Lozano, Jesus Corona, Alexis Vega and Raul Lozano. So I will do count their results at the Gold Cup. Even if Mexico will go on to lift the trophy there is no way for them to enter my top 30. The Gold Cup is a low quality tournament and with the biggest challengers for the trophy in USA and Canada sending subpar squads there is very little to gain for Mexico for my ranking.

As for Canada it's the same story. They can't earn much but they can't lose anything either. Only 12 of the 23 players called up were part of the World Cup squad.

The earliest Canada could make it into my top 30 is if they have impressive friendly results in September. The Gold Cup isn't in the equation.

[Kamtedrejt]

Change in my top 30:

Cameroon drop out of my top 30

Iran join my top 30

I thought about it. There is no way I can still justify Cameroon's presence in my top 30 with post World Cup results like a loss at Namibia in AFCON qualifying and a draw with the worst Mexico in many years.

Iran won the CAFA Nations Cup beating a very decent Uzbekistan in their home.

I claimed recently that I can come up with a better ranking than the FIFA World Rankings. I decided to prove that.
I will do my top 100 ranking (including order and current strength).

Expect me to drop that just after the Gold Cup.

[Lorric]

Change in my top 30:

Cameroon drop out of my top 30

Iran join my top 30

I thought about it. There is no way I can still justify Cameroon's presence in my top 30 with post World Cup results like a loss at Namibia in AFCON qualifying and a draw with the worst Mexico in many years.

Iran won the CAFA Nations Cup beating a very decent Uzbekistan in their home.

I claimed recently that I can come up with a better ranking than the FIFA World Rankings. I decided to prove that.
I will do my top 100 ranking (including order and current strength).

Expect me to drop that just after the Gold Cup.

You're getting closer to me now, taking out one of my non choices and putting in one of my choices.

But I thought South Korea was the one you were gonna boot out. Go on, boot them out too and put in another one of my picks!

That top 100 will be interesting.

[Kamtedrejt]

For my top 100 ranking I need to know how many years I should take into account.

While current form will be always decisive I don't think results of previous years should be discarded.


https://twitter.com/SamyKiani/status/16 ... 8233680896


I opened a poll on that matter. Please vote on my Twitter. Thanks.

[Lorric]

For my top 100 ranking I need to know how many years I should take into account.

While current form will be always decisive I don't think results of previous years should be discarded.


https://twitter.com/SamyKiani/status/16 ... 8233680896


I opened a poll on that matter. Please vote on my Twitter. Thanks.

I'm not on Twitter, so my vote is 4. Btw, you can do polls on this site. The feature is blocked on all boards except General discussions.

I'm interested to see if your top 30 is going to change as well. Before you've been doing this results vs top 30 and results vs the rest thing, but now I bet you're going to have to do something different...