In a year in which the most traditional winners in Europe and the South American teams with the most international glories did not win titles outside their territories, the Folha Ranking of world football kept its top unchanged. The lead still belongs to Real Madrid, which has a large advantage over its competitors.
In 2021, the white team took second place in the Spanish Championship and won the Spanish Super Cup. But only the international finals count points in this ranking – a historical list published since 2002, which considers tournaments of representation, official character and sequence.
Thirteen times champion of the Champions League, four times world champion by FIFA and three times champion of the Intercontinental Tournament, Real Madrid has 1,630 points. The advantage for the second place, Milan, which adds up to 1,010, is huge. Bayern (960), Boca Juniors (960) and Barcelona (945) complete the top 5.
By the criteria established in the ranking, the perfect year of a European team, with titles in the European Supercup, the Champions League and the World Cup, is worth 160 points. In other words, it will take several seasons for any club to think about threatening the first place.
Real Madrid, of course, does not intend to remain stationary. Led by Italian Carlo Ancelotti, who already has three Champions League titles under his belt, the Spanish team is in the quarterfinals of the main European competition. After having eliminated Paris Saint-Germain, he will face the defending champions Chelsea.
In the ranking, none of the closest opponents scored in the 2021 edition. The top 14 places – there is a Brazilian in the group, São Paulo, in tenth, with 620 – were stagnant. The first position in which there was some movement was the 15th: runner-up in the Europa League, Manchester United added 10 points, reached 490 and equaled Santos.
Who scored the most was Chelsea. In May, after defeating Manchester City 1-0, a goal by Havertz, and winning the Champions League, he took 70 points. In August, after a 1-1 draw with Villarreal, they performed better on penalties, lifted the European Supercup and gained 10 more points.
The London club scored 80 more points in 2022, in February, when the World Cup was held, delayed due to calendar problems during the Covid-19 pandemic. Once again, it counted on Havertz’s goal to lift a cup. In the extra time, the German defined the victory by 2 to 1 over Palmeiras, in the United Arab Emirates.
Defeated by Corinthians in the 2012 World Cup, Chelsea were successful in their second attempt at the competition. Thus, with the 160 points of 2021, it reached 410. It had a significant rise, going from 28th to 21st place, leaving behind Benfica, Flamengo, Porto, Atlético de Madrid, Cruzeiro, Internacional and Al Ahly.
Overtaken by Thomas Tuchel’s team in the decision, Palmeiras is still ahead of the English club. There were 120 points in the year: 70 for winning the Copa Libertadores, the club’s third and second in a row, 50 for the vice world championship. With 420 points, it rose from 24th to 19th position, tying with Grêmio.
In addition to Flamengo (23rd), Cruzeiro (26th) and Internacional (26th), overtaken by Chelsea and Palmeiras, they fell in the rankings Atlético Mineiro (from 49th to 50th), Fluminense (from 100th to 102nd), São Caetano (from 116th to 118th). ), Botafogo (from 172º to 175º), Chapecoense (from 172º to 175º), CSA (from 246º to 248º), Goiás (from 246º to 248º) and Ponte Preta (from 246º to 248º).
São Paulo (10th), Santos (15th), Corinthians (30th) and Vasco (38th) remained in their respective positions. Athletico Paranaense, who won 20 points with the second title in its history in the Copa Sudamericana, reached 80, jumping from 91st to 67th place, tied with nine teams.
The 2021 edition of the Folha Ranking of world football is the first with the presence of Red Bull Bragantino. Defeated by Athletico in the Sudamericana decision, he added his initial 10 points on the list. It occupies the congested 248th position, where there are 48 other associations, from all continents.
To enter the list, the team must have reached the final of an international championship that meets the established parameters. Friendly tournaments or played sporadically, with no prospects for new editions, are not considered. Competitions such as Copa Rio, Copa Suruga and Copa Florida do not earn points.
Questions and answers about Ranking Folha
Since when is the Folha de Futebol Ranking created?
The first edition of the national ranking dates from 1996. Since then, the list has undergone modifications, corrections and revisions. The last major revision took place in 2010. The world ranking began to be published in 2002 and follows the same guidelines as the national list.
Who enters the Folha Ranking?
In the national ranking, only teams that scored points (were champions or runners-up) in national or international competitions appear. In the world ranking, only those who scored in international tournaments.
Which tournaments are considered?
To enter the ranking, a tournament needs to have great representation, official character and sequence. Thus, championships played only once and with no prospect of new editions, such as the super championships held in some states in 2002, are disregarded. Tournaments such as Copa Rio, Copa Suruga, Supercopa do Brasil and Copa Florida, among others, also do not earn ranking points.
Why do tournaments played by only two clubs, such as the Recopa Sudamericana, not give points to the runner-up?
Every team that participates in a tournament like this has already been rewarded, as it gathers winners from previous competitions. It wouldn’t be logical to have a team scoring where it only failed
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