Spain have reclaimed the summit of the FIFA World Rankings for the first time since 2014, dislodging Argentina after an impressive run in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.
FIFA released the updated rankings on Thursday via its official X handle. Argentina, who had led the standings since April 2023, dropped to third, while France climbed to second.
Portugal, Croatia, and Italy made slight gains, securing fifth, ninth, and tenth places respectively. Brazil slipped to sixth after a poor spell, and Germany fell to 12th following a shock qualifying defeat to Slovakia—pushing them out of the top 10 for the first time since October 2024.
Slovakia emerged as the biggest movers, jumping 10 places to 42nd after back-to-back wins, including their upset over Germany.
Morocco remained just outside the top 10 with eight wins in their last nine matches. Other notable risers included The Gambia, Madagascar, Paraguay, Uganda, Libya, Suriname, and the Faroe Islands, all improving by at least five places.
Co-hosts of the 2026 World Cup, Canada, rose to 26th, while Kosovo reached a historic milestone by moving up to 91st.
The latest rankings reflect the shifting balance of power in world football as nations prepare for upcoming qualifiers and tournaments.