Few lists stir debate quite like sporting lists, particularly in football where FIFA rankings are decided by a controversial points system, giving dubious credit for results in friendly matches and over lowly opposition.
Which is why Belgium becoming the world’s No 1 team for the first time in the country’s history is very much open for discussion. Can anyone justify a side which has made it to a major tournament just once in the past 13 years being top of the world rankings?
But perhaps the rankings accurately reflect a team on the rise, who made it to the quarter finals in their only major tournament appearance for more than a decade in Brazil last summer.
When the latest rankings are released on November 5 it will show Belgium, with 1440 points, have become the eighth different country to top the rankings since they were introduced in 1992.
Reigning European and World Champions Germany will be second. Meanwhile Argentina, a team which made it to the World Cup final in Brazil last summer and boast one of the greatest players in history in Lionel Messi, will be third.
If we judge them purely on performance in major tournaments, Belgium are by a distance the least qualified of any team which has occupied the top spot in the FIFA rankings over the last 13 years.
Germany, Brazil, Italy, France, Argentina, Spain and Netherlands are the other sides which have traded the number one ranking over this period. Of those, Germany, Brazil, France, Italy and Spain have won the World Cup, while Argentina and Netherlands reached the final. Netherlands have won one European Championship and reached the semi-final a few times.
Meanwhile Belgium’s young squad eked out narrow victories in five matches at Brazil 2014, proving their will to win.
There is undoubtedly plenty of talent in Marc Wilmots’ squad, with ten Premier League players including wily campaigners like Vincent Kompany and Jan Vertonghen alongside world class attacking players Eden Hazard and Kevin De Bruyne with youngsters like Divock Origi coming through.
With a well balanced squad and plenty of character will the official world No 1 team prove they are the best in France next summer? Here Sportsmail looks at their likely squad...
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