Each quarter, the KA algorithms select the best 1000 football (soccer) clubs from over 4,000 professional clubs and 10.000 competitive clubs worldwide, ranking them according to long-term reputation and current performance.

The world club ranking is based on three factors:

• a club’s rating based on a continental ranking referring to international club competitions (such as the Champions League or other continental cups) where the ELO method is used,
• the club’s national standing based on domestic league results,
• the league’s rating specified based on the Global Leagues Ranking.

The KA System uses data derived from domestic league tables and international match results. The primary external data sources are the historical football database WorldFootball.net and the Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation (RSSSF). In specific cases requiring verification, completion, or resolution of inconsistencies, additional data are taken from the official websites of football confederations, national federations, domestic leagues, and other relevant governing bodies.