Spain overtakes Argentina at the top of the FIFA rankings
Reigning European champions and finalists of the last UEFA Nations League, La Roja has risen to the top spot thanks to its latest results, two clear victories (0-3 in Bulgaria and 0-6 in Turkey) in the first two qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup.
Spanish national team
The Spanish national soccer team returns to lead the FIFA world rankings for the first time since 2014, while Argentina, N.1 in the ranking since April 2023, falls to third place, also surpassed by France.
Reigning European champions and finalists of the last UEFA Nations League, La Roja rises to the top spot thanks to its latest results, two clear victories (0-3 in Bulgaria and 0-6 in Turkey) in the first two matches of World Cup 2026 qualifiers.
"La Roja last topped the rankings in June 2014, when they were world and European champions," FIFA recalled in its statement.
Despite already having qualified for next year's World Cup in the United States, Mexico and Canada, the latest defeat of Lionel Scaloni's side not only causes the Albiceleste to lose the No.1 spot, but also to be overtaken by France.
Beyond the podium, the other big news in the Top 10 is Italy's return to the world elite, thanks to their latest victories against Estonia (5-0) and Israel (4-5).
Another four-time world champion, Germany, continues to pay for its poor results and drops to 12th place.
The other South American powerhouse, Brazil, fell one place to 6th, overtaken by Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal.
FIFA rankings published on September 18, 2025:
1. Spain 1,875.37 points (+1)
2. France 1,870.92 (+1)
3. Argentina 1,870.32 (-2)
4. England 1,820.44
5. Portugal 1,779.55 (+1)
6. Brazil 1,761.6 (-1)
7. Netherlands 1,754.17
8. Belgium 1,739.54
9. Croatia 1,714.2 (+1)
10. Italy 1,710.06 (+1)
...
13. Colombia 1,692.1 (+1)
14. Mexico 1,688.38 (-1)
15. Uruguay 1,673.65 (+1)
24. Ecuador 1,588.04 (+1)
29. Panama 1,529.71 (+1)
37. Paraguay 1,501.01 (+6)
47. Costa Rica 1,481.13 (-7)
48. Peru 1,469.31 (-6)
49. Venezuela 1,465.02 (-3)
57. Chile 1,441.66
65. Honduras 1,383.98 (+1)
77. Bolivia 1,332.24 (+1)
90. El Salvador 1,267.75 (-3)
98. Guatemala 1,230.73 (+2)
132. Nicaragua 1,120.78 (-2)
142. Dominican Republic 1,074.46
155. Puerto Rico 1,020.44 (+2)
167. Cuba 980.33 (-1)
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