The USA is now the 6th best national soccer team in the world, according to FIFA's rankings. The US is ahead of all European nations' teams, other than Holland and the Czech Republic.
Hmmm. I have to admit I'm pretty dubious about this, but I'll use it anyway in any conversation I get into about the relative strength of soccer in the US.
UPDATE: The NY Daily News is talking about a top seed at the 2006 World Cup for the US team. If that happened, then you'd see the European teams take these rankings seriously. I doubt that will happen, which is why I don't think even FIFA gives much credence to their own rankings (although it's also true that FIFA is so desperate for US Soccer to take off they might do anything to help push the American game along).
