(Photo by Buda Mendes/Getty Images)

The April FIFA rankings come out Thursday and after close to six months of slight changes to the table, things look colossally different. With everyone except Africa participating in World Cup Qualifying, it provided huge opportunities for various countries to move up the table.

While the rankings officially come out Thursday, we can tally up the point totals every team is expected to have and have a good idea who will be where before the actual list is revealed.

Due to Argentina’s 2-0 upset by the hands of Bolivia, they are expected to drop from the top spot in favor of Brazil, who just qualified for the World Cup. The FIFA ranking can be a bit arbitrary and strange because it’s based on a four year cycles. Argentina has the benefit of being in two Copa America finals but they are not playing like the 1st or 2nd best international team in the world. In fact, Argentina is in danger of not qualifying for the World Cup.

Brazil is playing like the best team in the world and is completely deserving of the top spot. It’s almost as though Brazil and Argentina switched places in performance over the past few years. World Cup champion Germany and double Copa America champion Chile third and fourth respectively. Colombia is expected to move up from seventh to fifth, giving CONMEBOL four of the top five spots. France, Belgium, Portugal, Switzerland and Spain are expected to round out the top 10.

As for the USMNT, a win and a draw means they are expected to pass a lot of countries. Sitting 30th in March, the USMNT is supposed to move up seven spots into a tie for 23rd with Slovakia. They still sit behind Mexico and Costa Rica among CONCACAF teams, but the gap is a lot closer now.

Here’s a further look at the top 30. Note that while these numbers are expected to be accurate, they are not 100% confirmed until FIFA releases the April rankings Thursday, April 6.

1) Brazil – 1661 points, 1534 points last month, +1 positions from last month
2) Argentina – 1603 points, 1644 points last month, -1 positions from last month
3) Germany – 1464 points, 1443 points last month, +0 positions from last month
4) Chile – 1403 points, 1389 points last month, +0 positions from last month
5) Colombia – 1348 points, 1312 points last month, +2 positions from last month

6) France – 1294 points, 1318 points last month, +0 positions from last month
7) Belgium – 1281 points, 1379 points last month, -2 positions from last month
8) Portugal – 1259 points, 1240 points last month, +0 positions from last month
9) Switzerland – 1212 points, 1138 points last month, +2 positions from last month
10) Spain – 1204 points, 1162 points last month, +0 positions from last month

11) Poland – 1183 points, 1121 points last month, +2 positions from last month
12) Italy – 1165 points, 1095 points last month, +3 positions from last month
13) Wales – 1119 points, 1121 points last month, -1 positions from last month
14) England – 1103 points, 1114 points last month, +0 positions from last month
15) Uruguay – 1097 points, 1200 points last month, -6 positions from last month

16) Mexico – 1072 points, 1026 points last month, +1 positions from last month
17) Peru – 1042 points, 965 points last month, +1 positions from last month
18) Croatia – 1016 points, 1042 points last month, -2 positions from last month
19) Egypt – 910 points, 904 points last month, +1 position from last month
20) Costa Rica – 902 points, 953 points last month, -1 position from last month

21) Iceland – 872 points, 875 points last month, +2 positions from last month
22) Turkey – 863 points, 851 points last month, +4 positions from last month
23) Slovakia – 846 points, 853 points last month, +2 position from last month
23) United States – 846 points, 818 points last month, +7 positions from last month
25) Ecuador – 839 points, 887 points last month, -3 positions from last month

26) Ireland – 823 points, 860 points last month, -2 positions from last month
26) Northern Ireland – 823 points, 786 points last month, +9 positions from last month
28) Iran – 820 points, 794 points last month, +5 positions from last month
29) Bosnia and Herzegovina – 815 points, 826 points last month, +0 positions from last month
30) Senegal – 805 points, 831 points last month, -2 positions from last month

About Phillip Bupp

Producer/editor of the Awful Announcing Podcast and Short and to the Point. News editor for The Comeback and Awful Announcing. Highlight consultant for Major League Soccer as well as a freelance writer for hire. Opinions are my own but feel free to agree with them.

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