Spain Overtakes Messi’s Argentina to Lead FIFA Rankings for First Time Since 2014. 

Spain, led by Lamine Yamal, has claimed the top spot in the FIFA men’s rankings for the first time since June 2014, surpassing Argentina and Lionel Messi. Spain’s two victories in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers against Turkey and Bulgaria propelled them to No. 1. Meanwhile, Argentina, the 2022 World Cup champions, slipped to third after losing to Ecuador in qualifying. France moved up to second place, England stayed fourth, and Portugal rose to fifth, swapping places with Brazil.

Morocco leads African nations at No. 11, while Japan tops Asia at No. 19; both teams have already qualified for the World Cup. The co-hosts Mexico and the United States dropped one spot to 14th and 16th, respectively, while Canada, the third host, jumped two places to 26th.

FIFA will update the rankings again in October and November, with the November standings crucial for determining seedings for the 48-team World Cup draw on December 5 in Washington. The draw will feature 42 confirmed teams and six placeholders for playoff winners, potentially including teams like Italy from the lowest-ranked seeding pot.