EA Sports has set up a Flash-based statistical tracking tool called FIFA Earth to celebrate the recent release of FIFA 10.

The tool records records the popularity of national and club teams according to active players, as well as which teams are 'hottest' and 'coldest', according to in-game results. The data is rendered on a rotating 3D rendered globe and updates daily.

Today for example, gamers have lifted New Zealand into 30th position in the national team rankings, well above Bahrain's FIFA Earth 50th placing. If only that kind of form could be translated into real life for the decisive World Cup qualifier between the same two teams in Wellington on November 14.

EA Sports has said FIFA Earth will run all year round will and keep track of the number of games, number of wins, losses and draws, and sort this data by team, and location.

It will also allow you to dig back through the data to find the best and worst plays by day, week or month. The app also tracks all Twitter mentions of the game as they are happening, and keeps track of the number of mentions during the past 24 hours.

By James Heffield and John Davison