International Football Rankings

Argentina's midfielder Lionel Messi (R) vies for the ball with Venezuelan Jose Manuel Rey during their World Cup South Africa-2010 qualifying round football match at the Pachencho Romero stedium, on October 16th, 2007. (JUAN BARRETO/AFP/Getty Images) International football rankings are a good indication of the quality of the teams on the international stage and are created using the latest results from international fixtures. The latest FIFA/Coca Cola World Rankings, drawn up in October 2007, there are two teams from the African continent, six teams from the Americas and a grand total of 17 from Europe in the Top 25.

2006 FIFA World Cup winners, Italy are ranked near the top of the pile. With a strong domestic league featuring the 2006/2007 UEFA Champions League winners, AC Milan, the Italian national team is unsurprisingly ranked as one of the strongest internationally.

Italy is topped in the rankings by two South American powerhouses, Argentina and Brazil, who you can always bet on to be fighting for trophies. With an influx of stars in the toughest European leagues, such as Carlos Tevez from Argentina at Manchester United and Brazilian Kaka at AC Milan, the two dominant South American forces are growing in strength and are always there or thereabouts when FIFA World Cup time comes around. Mexico, USA, Uruguay and Columbia make up the rest of the South American contingent in the Top 25.

European countries dominate the Top 25 in international football rankings, and with past FIFA World Cup winners such as Italy, Germany, France and England in the Top 10, European nations unsurprisingly make up the majority of the rest of the Top 25. Apart from the usual suspects, strong footballing nations include Spain, Portugal and the Czech Republic. A surprise package in the Top 15 is Scotland, ranked at 13, who recently beat 4^th ranked France both home and away in European Championship qualifications.

Africa is only represented by two teams; Nigeria and Cameroon, a notable exception being 2010 Football World Cup hosts South Africa. With more and more African players being transferred abroad, expect to see an increase in the number of African teams represented in the top 25 as these players gain valuable international experience.