National Team ranking

Does increasing the national team ranking do anything in the long term to the standard of the players coming through?

Nope. The quality of players coming through would depend on things like club facilities, league reputation, club reputation, not the national team.

So the Cook Islands going from 200th to 50-100th wont do a thing to the quality of the new players?

I don't think so, especially considering they aren't a playable club nation.

In rare cases, you might have a Cook Islander come through the ranks and find a club to join. He might then retire and become a manager, which means his scouting knowledge for the Cook Islands will go to the club, which means that club may produce another Cook Islander (of better quality, perhaps), and perhaps the cycle will continue, although it is quite difficult as youngsters produced via scouting knowledge can be quite rare.

It might create greater awareness of your players.

If your ranking rises, big clubs might notice the players more, and perhaps snap them up.

They can then train at better facilities, becoming even better players.

It's a slow process, but it can happen.