How to use
- 1Enter both teams’ ranking points before the match (the decimals shown on FIFA’s ranking page).
- 2Choose the match type: friendly, Nations League, qualifier or final tournament.
- 3Pick the result, including wins or losses on penalties.
- 4Tick the knockout box for knockout rounds of a final competition and read each team’s points change.
The SUM formula: P = Pbefore + I × (W − We)
Since August 2018 the men’s ranking uses FIFA’s Elo-based SUM method (source: FIFA, “Revision of the FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking”, 2018; still in force in 2026). W is the result: 1 win, 0.5 draw, 0 loss. We is the expected result: We = 1 ÷ (10^(−dr/600) + 1), where dr is the points gap before the match. I is the match importance: 5 for friendlies outside international windows, 10 inside windows, 15 for Nations League group games, 25 for Nations League play-offs/finals and all World Cup or continental qualifiers, 35/40 for continental finals before/from the quarter-finals, and 50/60 for the World Cup before/from the quarter-finals.
Penalty shoot-outs and the knockout rule
In a match decided on penalties the winner gets W = 0.75 and the loser W = 0.5, i.e. the loser is treated as having drawn. Ties already decided in normal or extra time that still go to penalties (such as the second leg of a two-legged tie) count as normal wins and defeats. In knockout rounds of final competitions a team never loses points: if W − We is negative, its total stays the same. A 1700-point side losing a World Cup quarter-final to a 1500-point side would otherwise drop 41 points; it drops none, and winning on penalties earns it just +4.02.
Worked example
In FIFA’s own example a 1300-point team beats a 1500-point team in a continental qualifier (I = 25): We ≈ 0.32, so it gains 25 × (1 − 0.32) ≈ 17 points and the opponent loses 17. Outside the knockout rule every match is zero-sum, which is why friendlies played outside the international calendar (I = 5) barely move the table, while qualifiers and Nations League games matter far more. The women’s ranking uses a separate, modified algorithm.
Frequently asked questions
How are FIFA ranking points calculated?
After every match FIFA adds or subtracts I × (W − We): I is the match importance, W the actual result and We the expected result derived from the two teams’ points gap.
Do friendlies count in the FIFA ranking?
Yes, with low weight: I = 10 for friendlies in the international match windows and 5 outside them, against 25 for qualifiers and 60 for World Cup quarter-finals onwards.
Does losing on penalties cost FIFA points?
A shoot-out loss counts as a draw (W = 0.5), so a weaker team can even gain points. In knockout rounds of a final competition it can never lose points.
What does the 600 in the FIFA formula mean?
It scales the points gap: a 600-point lead gives an expected result of about 0.91, a 200-point lead about 0.68, and equal teams 0.5.
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