FIFA Ranking Match Importance
Match importance I multiplies the gap between actual and expected result in the FIFA ranking formula. Choosing the wrong I is the most common way to get an inaccurate simulation.
Importance values used by FIFA
- 5: Friendly match outside the International Match Calendar window
- 10: Friendly match inside the International Match Calendar window
- 15: Nations League group-stage matches
- 25: Confederations Cup, Nations League finals, and World Cup / continental qualifiers
- 35: Continental final tournament through the round of 16 (including group stage)
- 40: Continental final tournament from the quarter-finals onward (including third-place)
- 50: FIFA World Cup finals through the round of 16 (including group stage)
- 60: FIFA World Cup from the quarter-finals onward (including third-place)
How to choose quickly
If the fixture is a competitive qualifier, start at 25. If it is a continental knockout from the quarter-finals, use 40. World Cup knockouts from the quarter-finals use 60.
For friendlies, check whether the game sits inside a FIFA window before picking 5 or 10.
Then run the numbers in the FIFA ranking calculator.