The IBSA Football Committee has published an updated world ranking list for the B1 (totally blind) category.

The list, valid as of January 1st 2016, has been updated to take into account results from all major events in 2015, including regional championships in Africa, America, Asia and Europe, the IBSA World Games in Seoul, South Korea, and other ranking events.

Brazil, reigning IBSA world champions and Paralympic champions, remain top of the table, while Argentina overtakes Spain to take second place. China and France swap spots in fourth and fifth place, and Turkey moves up from eighth to sixth place.

Click here or on the links above to view or download the ranking list. 

The table is based on a new system to calculate the standings that includes events stretching back over the past four years. It will be updated on a rolling basis after each major event such as Paralympic Games, IBSA World Championships, regional championships and IBSA World Games, and at the end of each calendar year in the case of other ranking events such as sub-regional championships and other events.

Ulrich Pfisterer, Chair of the IBSA Football Committee, commented on the release of the new ranking list: "“The IBSA Football Committee has been working for some months now on improving and updating our world ranking system. We had extensive discussions at our committee meeting in Hereford in August last year and then by email to agree on the new system."

"We believe the new system is a major step forward and improvement in term of grading teams in line with their performance in events over the past four years, and demonstrating the worldwide reach blind football currently enjoys."
 
"It’s encouraging to see there are more countries than ever in our table – we’re up from 35 to 40 nations in one year – and the number can only increase as new teams take part in ranking tournaments in the coming months and years."

"No ranking system is perfect so we will be monitoring the process this year with a view to fine-tuning the system at the end of 2016 if needed. I encourage countries to organise ranking tournaments in line with the new rules we have established.”