The 2026 World Cup is approaching, and the latest FIFA rankings reflect significant changes among national teams. Notably, Argentina and Portugal are in the spotlight this update.
Spain has taken the No. 1 position in the FIFA men’s ranking, surpassing Argentina for the first time since June 2014, when they lost their world champion title.
Barcelona‘s Lamine Yamal has contributed to this success. Argentina’s defeat to Ecuador in the South American qualifiers allowed France to move up to second place after winning against Iceland and Ukraine.
Despite Argentina’s prior win over Venezuela, the loss to Ecuador negatively impacted their standing in the rankings.
Lionel Messi of Argentina during a match.
Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal Update
Portugal has moved up to fifth place, swapping ranks with Brazil after Brazil’s loss to Bolivia. England is currently in fourth place. Portugal achieved this rise by winning their last two matches against Hungary and Armenia, with impressive performances from Ronaldo.
Here’s the current top 10:
- Spain – 1875.37 points
- France – 1870.92 points
- Argentina – 1870.32 points
- England – 1820.44 points
- Portugal – 1779.55 points
- Brazil – 1761.60 points
- Netherlands – 1754.17 points
- Belgium – 1739.54 points
- Croatia – 1714.20 points
- Italy – 1710.06 points
Importance of Rankings
The rankings will be updated again in October and once more in November, with the November update being crucial. It will determine the seeded teams for the 48-team World Cup draw set for December 5 in Washington.
The draw will include 42 confirmed teams, with six additional teams to qualify through intercontinental playoffs. Those playoff winners may include teams like Italy, depending on their performance before the draw.