USA RANKED 4th in the World?
474172
ok here is the deal. Don't get me wrong i love team usa and happy we are ranked 4th. but we are only there cause we are still playing our starters every game, teams like germeny(in the cup cause hosting) italy(first team to qualify) haven't been playing their main guys cause they don't need to, and those guys play for a living for club teams right now. never take that ranking serious rightbefore the cup, i would give the us ranking of 12 in reality, and i know u all are going to be mad at me for it. but we are not a #4 team yet, we lost what 3-0 or something to the german backups,  and germeny is like 10 or somehting
1094520
As long as the Czech's win it should go someway towards Fifa correcting that hugely false position the US hold in the world rankings. 3-0 or so i reckon
1134484
after the US's gr8 showing in the last world cup (knocked out by germany in the quarters, possibly due to a dodgy handballed german goal), I'm suprised it hasn't taken off more than it has.\n\nI think it's a case of what you grow up with. From what I gather, it's only recently that US tv has started to provide decent coverage of soccer - until now all americans have had is all american sports like american football & baseball.\n\nI think it will take off pretty soon if the US team can maintain or improve their form. You've drawn a tricky group this year, but if you can get through that, I wouldn't be suprised to see you make the semifinals - and the US become as football crazy as England! \n\nBest of luck!\n\nEDIT: Can I just take this opportunity to call the previous respondent (badal) an idiot! If the US didn't make the top 32, how come they're still in the tourney?
1167203
Nope, not in the least.  What people seem to not realize is that the FIFA World Rankings are not ranking the teams by their likelihood of winning or their overall abillity.  It is NOT a committy decision.  It is a formula plugged into a computer, nothing more and nothing less.  When you realize that you realize U.S. NOT getting a #1 seed bid (or pick) for the Group Drawings was accurate.  They were not in a group of death seeing as Italy was the only trully strong team (when healthy, which they weren't).  Oh by the way, Italy was ranked something like 14th or something in the Fifa Rankings!  No one voted for the U.S. to be that highly ranked...it was a formula based off of certain things.  The ONLY stat that was right was Brazil being a clear #1.  \nThe only overating that could have been there is from our disrespectful loud mouth Landon Donovan and co.  He has NEVER proven himself EVER on a big stage and never will.  He hasn't score in almost an entire calendar year at an international level (mind you that we have easily one of the weakest qualifying groups...he hasn't scored in close to a year against the likes of Jamaica, Morrocco, Venezuela, Trinidad, Costa Rica, and the list goes on of teams that are far from good).  \nThe only bit of overrated hype and belief came from ESPN, US media, and the U.S. team.  Anyone that watches the game or is from another country KNEW, not wondered, but KNEW this outcome would happen.  The fact we had a chance was a shock (a shock because Ghana has more international superstars than us and the only reason we had a chance was because we played a depleated Czech team and a VERY subpar Italy squad).\n\nSo no, we were not overrated to the world.  We did what we were supposed to.  However, the media here did there typical hype and exaggerations to get fans.  Unfortunately it built the expectations way to high and soccer passion and the growth in the U.S. has taken a huge blow.  We could feel this for quite some time.
1111881
TOGO.....USA is among the elite teams in the world
1107698
here is the rankings 1-205 (this is the most updated rankings)\n\n1 Brazil \n2 Czech Republic \n3 The Netherlands \n4 Mexico \n5 USA  \n5 Spain \n7 Portugal \n8 France \n9 Argentina \n10 England \n    \n11 Nigeria \n11 Denmark \n13 Italy  \n14 Turkey \n15 Cameroon \n16 Sweden \n17 Egypt  \n18 Japan \n19 Germany  \n20 Greece \n    \n21 Tunisia \n22 Uruguay  \n23 Iran  \n23 Croatia \n25 Romania  \n26 Costa Rica  \n27 Colombia \n28 Senegal  \n29 Poland \n29 Korea Republic \n31 Republic of Ireland \n32 Côte d'Ivoire \n33 Paraguay \n34 Saudi Arabia \n35 Switzerland \n36 Morocco  \n37 Russia \n37 Bulgaria \n39 Ecuador \n40 Norway \n    \n41 Slovakia \n42 Honduras \n42 Australia  \n44 Serbia and Montenegro \n45 Ukraine  \n46 Jamaica \n47 Trinidad and Tobago \n48 Ghana  \n49 Finland \n49 Israel  \n51 Guinea \n52 Iraq \n53 South Africa  \n54 Bahrain \n55 Zimbabwe \n56 Belgium  \n57 Angola \n57 Zambia  \n59 Scotland  \n60 Uzbekistan \n    \n61 Togo  \n62 Guatemala \n63 Bosnia-Herzegovina  \n64 Chile  \n65 Belarus  \n66 Peru  \n66 Mali \n68 China PR  \n69 Congo DR  \n70 Latvia  \n71 Slovenia \n71 Venezuela  \n71 United Arab Emirates \n74 Kuwait  \n74 Wales  \n76 Hungary  \n76 Estonia \n78 Qatar  \n79 Austria  \n80 Cuba \n    \n81 Panama \n82 Oman \n83 Canada  \n84 Jordan \n85 Albania  \n86 Libya \n87 Algeria \n88 Korea DPR \n89 Burkina Faso \n90 Syria  \n91 FYR Macedonia \n92 Singapore \n93 Lithuania  \n94 Rwanda  \n95 Kenya  \n96 Northern Ireland \n97 Uganda \n97 Sudan  \n99 Iceland  \n100 Cyprus \n    \n101 Georgia \n102 Bolivia \n103 Botswana \n104 Moldova  \n104 Gabon \n106 Haiti \n107 Malawi \n108 Thailand \n109 Armenia \n110 Indonesia \n111 Congo \n112 Azerbaijan  \n112 Ethiopia \n114 Benin \n115 Palestine  \n115 Hong Kong \n117 India  \n118 New Zealand  \n118 Barbados  \n120 Turkmenistan  \n    \n121 Tajikistan  \n122 Lebanon  \n123 Liechtenstein  \n123 Cape Verde Islands \n125 Malta \n126 Vietnam  \n127 Mozambique  \n127 Malaysia  \n129 Andorra  \n130 El Salvador  \n131 St. Lucia  \n132 Yemen  \n133 St. Kitts and Nevis  \n133 St. Vincent and the Grenadines  \n135 Kazakhstan  \n136 Sri Lanka  \n137 Maldives  \n137 Swaziland  \n139 Faroe Islands \n140 Bangladesh  \n    \n141 Lesotho  \n142 Fiji  \n143 Liberia  \n144 Solomon Islands  \n145 Tahiti  \n146 Mauritius  \n147 Kyrgyzstan  \n147 Vanuatu \n149 Myanmar \n150 Burundi \n151 Madagascar \n152 Luxembourg \n153 Pakistan  \n154 Equatorial Guinea  \n155 Grenada \n156 Chinese Taipei  \n157 Nicaragua  \n158 Surinam  \n159 Chad  \n160 Antigua and Barbuda  \n    \n161 San Marino \n162 Guyana  \n162 Bermuda  \n164 Namibia \n165 Sierra Leone \n166 Gambia \n167 Tanzania \n168 Papua New Guinea \n169 Nepal \n170 Netherlands Antilles \n171 Eritrea \n172 Laos \n173 British Virgin Islands \n174 Dominica \n175 Dominican Republic \n176 Seychelles \n177 Niger \n178 Mauritania \n179 Mongolia \n180 Belize \n    \n181 Central African Republic \n182 Cayman Islands \n183 Samoa \n184 Cambodia \n185 Somalia  \n186 Guinea-Bissau \n187 Tonga  \n188 Afghanistan \n188 New Caledonia \n190 Bhutan \n191 Philippines \n192 Macau \n193 Brunei Darussalam  \n194 Bahamas \n195 Cook Islands  \n196 Puerto Rico  \n197 US Virgin Islands \n198 São Tomé e Príncipe \n199 Anguilla \n200 Djibouti \n    \n201 Aruba \n202 Montserrat \n203 Guam \n204 Turks and Caicos Islands \n205 American Samoa
1068140
Lousy Ref ! but c'mon you gotta want Ghana to go through, and how on earth do they rate U S A 5th best in the world when they are an obviously 5th rate team, of course this is the only 'World' game that U S A play in that is actually played by countries outside America.
329666
No, the United States is ranked fourth in the world and there are 8 groups in the World Cup, yet the USA didn't recieve top seeding in a group.  The way it works, is they pick 8 teams to to be the #1 seed, then the rest of the teams are placed in groups (there isn't a seed given to non #1 seeds).  This is supposed to be done so you don't get a group of four super powers like Germany, Brazil, England, and France.
334597
Because the FIFA ranking system is seriously flawed. They rank, based on how a team does in it's respective order or group. The USA has to play against all crappy teams in Central America including Honduras and Guatemala. Both countries have small populations and therefore have a limited source of soccer players. USA should be in the 30's and the Czech republic in the lower teens.
559728
Japan is currently ranked 17th according to FIFA.  Take that as you may.  The Czech Republic is 2nd but there are plenty of teams better than they are.
1089636
the rankings are based on a few things past world cup performance, championship titles i.e african cup of nations and confederations cup so as mentioned before most rankings mean nothing due to the fact that most of the teams never meet until they face off at the world cup and there are no 2nd chances on the world stage, ghana are just a fabulous side and the u.s. suck
43221
USA is very powerful!
1159421
According to FIFA (The governing body of Pro Soccer) Argentina is the 4th best team in the world. Germany is ranked 22nd. Try not to read too deep into these ranks though. The USA was suppossed to be #5 and failed to freach the last 16.
1142701
That would prove that USA is SUPERIOR to all the other countries in the world...including mexico...and the fact that they will get a trophy and they will become superior..just wait until its over..because usa will become superior
457456
Our top players can play with the best in the world, the place the US is lacking is the depth that countries like England, Italy and the Netherlands posess. If the US can stay healthy we can go a long way in this World Cup.
723124
United States. Russia would've been #2, but most of theirs are decommissioned. India is proabbly #3. China a close #4.
1167302
Brazil head the FIFA world rankings followed by all other countries like Czech Republic, Mexico, USA, Portugual etc