The Meaning Of Australia's Highest Ever FIFA Rankings

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Much has been written of Australia’s highest ever official FIFA ranking, which sees them sit 16th in the world, notably ahead of the likes of Turkey and Portugal.

Whether Australia are capable of beating either of these sides is trivial – the fact remains that, as far as seeding goes for future qualification stages and the World Cup itself, the Socceroos currently have the edge.

Some pundits and commentators are quick to dismiss the rankings as nothing more than an elaborate misrepresentation – Gabon’s presence inside the top 50 is, to those people, justification of the claim – but their practical importance remains understated.

Whether FIFA relies on their latest rankings to seed teams for the draw for the 2010 World Cup finals remains to be seen – they did so partly, along with performances of nations at previous World Cups, in 2006.

From that perspective, regardless of subjective feelings about the realism of the rankings, they are crucial to Australia.

Members of the Socceroos squad have been quick to point out that their chances of progressing past the group stages in South Africa will be dependant upon the luck of the draw, as much as they seem keen to repeat the phrase that they are “quietly confident”.

Coming in at 16th in the rankings might just be the difference in determining whether they are drawn in the ominous ‘Group of Death’.

Perhaps this would explain why Pim Verbeek has been so keen to continue with his pragmatic style during the final two matches of the qualification campaign, which Australia both won. Does the Dutchman already have one eye on the draw for the finals?

Aside from possible use of the rankings in determining the draw in South Africa – a system which drew inevitable criticism in 2006, in any case – to what use can we put Australia’s current standing?

Many will point to the fact that the announcement of the Socceroos' historic placing has arrived at the perfect moment, as Football Federation Australia (FFA) launches bids for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups.

In the eyes of the football world, a successful qualifying campaign, coupled with a historic achievement, has put Australia above some of European football’s traditional heavyweights.

Surely, the land down under is slightly more difficult to ignore now than it was 12 months ago?

Closer scrutiny would likely reveal, however, that the mentioning of Australia’s ranking is little more than political correctness within the complex bidding world that FFA chairman Frank Lowy now inhabits.

Yours truly asked Lowy, at a press conference announcing the government’s subsidising of the bid, how important the Socceroos performances would be in relation to 2018/2022, to which he replied that they would be crucial throughout 2009 and at the World Cup itself in 2010.

It’s hard to argue with the man heading Australia’s bid, simply because he is indeed the man heading Australia’s bid and now has more experience than most in what it will take to bring the biggest sporting event in the world to this country.

But one can’t escape the feeling that the performance of the national team - and, in particular, a disputed rankings system - will not form any significant part of the criteria for bidders (South Korea and Japan could hardly have been considered powerhouses before winning the rights to co-host the 2002 World Cup).

With the practical applications of the ranking now covered, where does that leave Australia and its lofty self?

Arguably, there is a point of pride in being the Asian Football Confederation’s highest placed nation, with Japan some way back in 40th and Korea Republic having just snuck into the top 50, coming in at 48th.

Within Australia’s own borders, being officially named inside the world’s top 20 can only bring positive publicity to the game as it continues to assert itself within mainstream sports media – though the Socceroos have historically had little trouble in that regard.

Essentially, there can be no definitive answer as to the meaning of Australia’s ranking for the moment; things will become much more clear 12 months from now, when they are truly tested on football’s greatest stage and when FIFA decides whether the much-criticised system will still be used to decide whether the Socceroos line up against Brazil or Gabon in South Africa.