"Qatar is currently the 93rd-best team in the world according to Elo, so if we doubled the size of the 2026 tournament and chose the participants based on this rating system alone, they still wouldn't qualify."
"Togo actually had a 22-year-old Emmanuel Adebayor on the roster while he was playing for Arsenal. Qatar's best player, Akram Afif, plays for Al Sadd SC."
"Curacao has jumped up 38 spots in the Elo ratings over the past year, while no one in this summer's field has improved by more than 13 places."
"Jordan has the least-valuable squad in the tournament: a combined value of €15.98 million, most of which comes from Rennes winger Musa Al-Taamari."
The FIFA World Cup qualification is complete, confirming 48 participating teams. Rankings are based on World Football Elo Ratings for performance and Transfermarkt values for talent. Qatar, ranked 93rd, is the lowest-rated team, while Togo holds the record for the worst performance in the 32-team era. Curacao has shown significant improvement, rising 38 spots in Elo ratings. Jordan has the least-valuable squad at €15.98 million, primarily due to winger Musa Al-Taamari's contribution, contrasting with the USMNT's stronger squad value.
Read at ESPN.com
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