FIFA World Rankings and Armenia: What’s in a Number?

Numerology can be described as the study of the mystical relationships between a count or measurement and other aspects of life. The importance (or mysticism) associated with the FIFA World Ranking numbers and how they relate to the Armenian national team could be debated at length. Simplifying the argument, one could ask which are more important, team performances or team results.

A simple example of how the rankings can be interpreted or misinterpreted is the case of  the USMNT. In April 2006, the US team was ranked number 4 in the world according to FIFA. One might have thought that to live up to that ranking, the U.S. team should have made the semi-final stage of that summer’s World Cup finals in Germany. They did in fact suffer elimination in the first round, finishing bottom of Group E with a solitary point to show for their efforts.