Spain overtake Argentina and return to No. 1 in FIFA rankings: When they were last on top and why it’s a big deal
The results from the September international break led to Argentina dropping from the No. 1 position in the FIFA rankings after more than two years. Spain now sit at the summit — a shift that could have major implications in the near future.
Spain climbed to No. 1 largely thanks to their recent successes. They are the reigning Euro 2024 champions and 2025 UEFA Nations League finalists, and they currently lead their World Cup qualifying group with ease. These achievements have played a critical role in their rise through the rankings, as official matches carry extra weight in FIFA’s point system.
For Argentina, on the other hand, a few losses in South American World Cup qualifying ultimately proved costly, causing them to fall two spots. And things may get worse in the coming months, as they are scheduled to play friendly matches — which carry significantly less value in the rankings.
With FIFA releasing the new rankings this week, Spain were officially confirmed as No. 1 for the first time in 11 years. The last time they held that spot was in June 2014, when they were still riding high from their triumphs at the 2010 World Cup and the 2008 and 2012 European Championships.
Credit goes largely to head coach Luis De La Fuente for Spain’s resurgence. He took over in December 2022 following the disappointment at the World Cup in Qatar, where Spain were eliminated in the round of 16 by Morocco. At that time, they were ranked 10th. Since then, the results have been outstanding — with a streak of 27 official matches without defeat.
The updated FIFA rankings
The international break results brought significant changes to the FIFA rankings. Spain weren’t the only team to climb — France also moved up one spot to second, pushing Argentina down to third.
Another top-10 shake-up came from Portugal, who jumped from sixth to fifth, moving ahead of Brazil. Meanwhile, Germany fell from ninth to twelfth, allowing Croatia, Italy, and Morocco to climb.
The current FIFA rankings are:
- Spain
- France
- Argentina
- England
- Portugal
- Brazil
- Netherlands
- Belgium
- Croatia
- Italy
Why the FIFA rankings matter
For years, the FIFA rankings carried mostly symbolic importance, giving top national teams bragging rights without offering any concrete benefits. But that’s no longer the case.
Under the current system, FIFA rankings play a decisive role in major tournaments, as seedings in the draws are based on these rankings. That gives higher-ranked teams a significant edge by helping them avoid early matchups against similarly strong opponents.
With less than a year to go until the FIFA World Cup 2026 — and fewer than three months until the draw takes place in Washington, D.C., on December 5 — national teams from every continent will be looking to climb as high as possible in the rankings to boost their chances of landing in favorable groups.