The Dutch national team rose one place in the FIFA ranking on Thursday. Orange has exchanged fifteenth for fourteenth place and will close 2020 at that place.
A month ago, the Netherlands dropped two more places. In recent weeks, a 1-1 draw was made against Spain in an exhibition game and Bosnia and Herzegovina (3-1) and Poland (1-2) were beaten in the Nations League.
After the victory over Bosnia, it was already clear that the Netherlands would belong to the top ten European countries in the FIFA ranking, which is important for the World Cup qualification series. Orange is now in pot 1 in the draw, which will take place on December 7.
The place in that pot means that Orange will avoid the other nine European top countries (Belgium, France, England, Portugal, Spain, Italy, Croatia, Denmark and Germany). Only the numbers one of the qualifying series go directly to the World Cup.
The top six of the FIFA rankings is unchanged with Belgium, France, Brazil, England, Portugal and Spain. The Netherlands must also tolerate Argentina, Uruguay and Mexico, among others.
No more international matches will be played in the rest of 2020. The European Championship group duels with Ukraine, Austria and North Macedonia in June next year are still the first matches on the Orange program.
Top 15 FIFA-ranking
- 1. Belgium – 1,780 points
- 2. France – 1,755
- Brazil – 1,743
- 4. England – 1,670
- 5. Portugal – 1.662
- Spain – 1,645
- Argentina – 1,642
- 8. Uruguay – 1.639
- 9. Mexico – 1.632
- 10. Italy – 1,625
- Croatia – 1,617
- 12. Denmark – 1,614
- 13. Germany – 1,610
- 14. Netherlands – 1,609
- 15. Colombia – 1.601
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