Games through World Cup Final, 2010
1.
Spain
25-2-1
 
 
 
2.10
2.
Brazil
17-3-8
 
 
 
1.99
3.
Netherlands
17-2
 
 
 
1.77
4.
Germany
17-4-2
 
 
 
1.74
5.
Paraguay
11-6-6
 
 
 
1.34
6.
Russia
11-5-1
 
 
 
1.28
7.
Uruguay
10-8-9
 
 
 
1.22
8.
Portugal
10-4-6
 
 
 
1.20
9.
Chile
12-7-3
 
 
 
1.19
10.
Argentina
12-7-4
 
 
 
1.15
11.
England
10-2-2
 
 
 
1.11
12.
Australia
10-2-3
 
 
 
1.10
13.
Côte d'Ivoire
8-2-3
 
 
 
1.08
14.
Egypt
12-5-1
 
 
 
1.06
15.
USA
10-7-4
 
 
 
0.98
16.
Japan
7-3-4
 
 
 
0.93
17.
Slovenia
8-4-3
 
 
 
0.92
18.
Colombia
6-7-5
 
 
 
0.91
19.
Switzerland
8-4-4
 
 
 
0.79
20.
Ghana
10-5-3
 
 
 
0.79
21.
Denmark
7-3-3
 
 
 
0.77
22.
Serbia
8-4-1
 
 
 
0.77
23.
Sweden
6-4-3
 
 
 
0.76
24.
Honduras
6-7-2
 
 
 
0.70
25.
Venezuela
6-8-4
 
 
 
0.69
26.
Mexico
8-6-2
 
 
 
0.66
27.
Ecuador
6-7-5
 
 
 
0.65
28.
Turkey
6-5-4
 
 
 
0.64
29.
Italy
9-4-7
 
 
 
0.63
30.
Bolivia
4-11-3
 
 
 
0.56
31.
Slovakia
8-4-2
 
 
 
0.56
32.
Bosnia-Herzegovina
6-5-1
 
 
 
0.56
33.
Greece
8-7-3
 
 
 
0.48
34.
Nigeria
8-4-5
 
 
 
0.46
35.
Algeria
7-6-3
 
 
 
0.46
36.
Czech Republic
5-4-4
 
 
 
0.46
37.
Costa Rica
7-5-2
 
 
 
0.45
38.
Croatia
9-2-3
 
 
 
0.45
39.
Finland
5-2-3
 
 
 
0.44
40.
Ukraine
6-2-4
 
 
 
0.41
41.
Norway
2-2-4
 
 
 
0.39
42.
Korea Republic
5-2-7
 
 
 
0.31
43.
Cameroon
5-6-2
 
 
 
0.30
44.
Iraq
1-4-2
 
 
 
0.29
45.
Israel
4-2-4
 
 
 
0.26
46.
Hungary
5-4-1
 
 
 
0.25
47.
New Zealand
6-3-5
 
 
 
0.20
48.
Bahrain
4-6-4
 
 
 
0.18
49.
France
7-5-6
 
 
 
0.16
50.
Gabon
5-5-1
 
 
 
0.11
51.
Mali
4-3-4
 
 
 
0.10
52.
Northern Ireland
4-3-3
 
 
 
0.05
53.
Tunisia
3-2-6
 
 
 
0.02
54.
Republic of Ireland
4-1-7
 
 
 
-0.01
55.
Peru
3-11-4
 
 
 
-0.01
56.
Latvia
5-3-2
 
 
 
-0.02
57.
Angola
2-2-2
 
 
 
-0.04
58.
Wales
4-6
 
 
 
-0.06
59.
Zambia
3-5-4
 
 
 
-0.08
60.
Saudi Arabia
4-3-5
 
 
 
-0.11
61.
Bulgaria
3-2-5
 
 
 
-0.11
62.
South Africa
2-6-2
 
 
 
-0.14
63.
Korea DPR
3-5-5
 
 
 
-0.15
64.
Uzbekistan
2-7-1
 
 
 
-0.18
65.
Qatar
3-6-3
 
 
 
-0.18
66.
Iran
3-1-6
 
 
 
-0.20
67.
Iceland
1-5-2
 
 
 
-0.20
68.
Burkina Faso
5-3-1
 
 
 
-0.22
69.
Scotland
3-4-1
 
 
 
-0.23
70.
El Salvador
2-8-2
 
 
 
-0.24
71.
FYR Macedonia
2-5-1
 
 
 
-0.33
72.
Poland
3-7-3
 
 
 
-0.33
73.
Belgium
3-6-1
 
 
 
-0.34
74.
Benin
4-5-2
 
 
 
-0.36
75.
Lithuania
4-6
 
 
 
-0.37
76.
Mozambique
2-6-3
 
 
 
-0.38
77.
Albania
1-5-4
 
 
 
-0.43
78.
Austria
4-6-3
 
 
 
-0.43
79.
Cyprus
2-5-3
 
 
 
-0.44
80.
Trinidad and Tobago
2-7-3
 
 
 
-0.51
81.
Azerbaijan
1-7-2
 
 
 
-0.51
82.
Malawi
3-7-1
 
 
 
-0.53
83.
Romania
3-5-5
 
 
 
-0.55
84.
Togo
3-3-2
 
 
 
-0.64
85.
Belarus
4-5-1
 
 
 
-0.65
86.
Montenegro
1-3-6
 
 
 
-0.71
87.
Rwanda
1-5-2
 
 
 
-0.73
88.
New Caledonia
3-2-3
 
 
 
-0.78
89.
Estonia
2-6-2
 
 
 
-0.81
90.
Morocco
1-4-3
 
 
 
-0.87
91.
Kenya
2-6
 
 
 
-0.90
92.
Sudan
1-6-1
 
 
 
-0.94
93.
Fiji
3-4-2
 
 
 
-0.94
94.
Armenia
1-8-1
 
 
 
-1.06
95.
Guinea
2-6
 
 
 
-1.12
96.
Liechtenstein
0-8-2
 
 
 
-1.16
97.
Moldova
0-7-3
 
 
 
-1.17
98.
United Arab Emirates
0-8-2
 
 
 
-1.20
99.
Georgia
0-7-3
 
 
 
-1.30
100.
Faroe Islands
1-8-1
 
 
 
-1.42
101.
Luxembourg
1-7-2
 
 
 
-1.50
102.
Kazakhstan
2-8
 
 
 
-1.94
103.
Malta
0-9-1
 
 
 
-2.04
104.
Vanuatu
1-5-1
 
 
 
-2.04
105.
Andorra
0-10
 
 
 
-3.36
106.
San Marino
0-10
 
 
 
-3.85
More data for Rank
Spain on top of Netherlands
Final on Sunday
July 8, 2010

With so many European teams surviving into the late rounds of the World Cup, the Power Rank decided to add games from Euro 2008 to the rankings. Some people consider this tournament even better than the World Cup because of the uniform strength across all 16 participating teams; there is no North Korea or Saudia Arabia to beat up in the group stage. In addition, games from the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations, a tournament taken seriously by African nations, were added. With these additional games, Spain hops the Netherlands and assumes the top spot in the rankings. In Euro 2008, the Dutch ripped through the 3 group stage games with a plus 8 goal differential only to be beaten by the Russians 3-1 in their first knock out game. Then Spain beat Russia 3-0 in the very next game. England also moves up the rankings because their two wins over Croatia in World Cup qualifying look much better in light of Croatia's three wins at Euro 2008. Lastly, the United States gets a boost with the addition of the Africa Cup of Nations games. Egypt won this tournament but then lost 3-0 to the Americans in the Confederation's Cup last summer.

Spain will play the Netherlands in the World Cup final on Sunday. For anyone who does not appreciate the role of luck in making it this far, just remember the three posts. Spain hit the post three times before David Villa's strike finally went into the net to push Spain past Paraguay 1-0. The Dutch whacked the post on all three goals they scored against Uruguay. But, luck has helped two of the most talented teams in the world make it to the final. To appreciate the Dutch team, check out Roger Bennett's great article on ESPN. He's actually read the book Brilliant Orange and explains how a spirit of individualism deeply rooted in Calvinism makes this team so dysfunctional. I expect Spain to win 2-1, with the winning goal coming after a bone headed blunder from midfield Dutch politician Mark van Bommel. Number six will either give the ball away in the midfield or get a red card send off for a reckless tackle.

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