With the 2026 FIFA World Cup™ still fresh in our minds, the world of soccer continues to move forward with 338 international matches being played. These matches, played primarily in the UEFA Nations League and CONCACAF, as well as in the qualifying rounds for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations, have shaped this latest FIFA Men’s World Rankings.
Spain (1st) continues to extend its lead at the top of the rankings, followed by Argentina (2nd)—a finalist in the 2026 FIFA World Cup™—at nearly 40 points, and France (3rd). Still, the biggest move among the top ten comes from Portugal (5th, +2), which has overtaken Brazil (6th, -1) and Morocco (7th, -1).
Meanwhile, among the top twenty, Switzerland (12th, +2) stands out, moving ahead of Germany (13th, -1) and Croatia (14th, -1). It is worth noting that these two teams, Portugal and Switzerland, along with the world champion, have won all four of their matches in the UEFA Nations League.
Africa is gaining prominence among the top 50 thanks to two of its teams: Mali (47th, +6) and South Africa (48th, +6). Both teams have returned to the top 50, where Greece’s significant progress (41st, +5) also stands out after four matches without a loss.
The strong performance of these African teams has also led to a notable shift in the distribution by confederation among the top 50. CAF now has ten representatives (+2), while UEFA (24, -1) and CONMEBOL (8, -1) have each lost one team from the top 50, with the Czech Republic (51st, -3) and Peru (53rd, -3) dropping out, respectively. The AFC and CONCACAF each continue to have four teams among the world’s top 50, while OFC teams remain well outside this top 50.
The qualifying round for the Africa Cup of Nations has also taken center stage thanks to significant gains by other teams on the continent, such as Rwanda (119th, +9), Guinea-Bissau (124th, +8), Gambia (109th, +7), Botswana (141st, +6), and Mozambique (98th, +5).
In addition, countries from other continents have also moved up in the current rankings, such as the Dominican Republic (135th, +9), Guyana (142nd, +8), Northern Ireland (64th, +6), Estonia (122nd, +5), and Barbados (174th, +5). Most of these teams have won at least two matches in the current edition of both the UEFA and CONCACAF Nations Leagues.
