FIFA Rankings: Spain reclaim No. 1 spot after World Cup triumph, Argentina second

World Cup champions Spain returned to the top of the FIFA men’s rankings on Monday, displacing Argentina after edging the defending champions 1-0 in an extra-time thriller to lift their second World Cup title.

Luis de la Fuente’s side climbed back to No. 1 for the first time since January after Ferran Torres’ extra-time strike in New Jersey sealed Spain’s triumph on Sunday. Argentina, who entered the final as the top-ranked side, slipped to second following their defeat.

France and England retained third and fourth place respectively despite their contrasting finishes to the World Cup. England ended the tournament with a 6-4 win over France in the third-place play-off, ensuring Thomas Tuchel’s side held on to fourth, while Les Bleus remained third.

Brazil climbed one place to fifth, while Morocco continued their steady rise by reaching a record-high sixth in the rankings. The Atlas Lions backed up another impressive World Cup campaign with their highest-ever position in FIFA’s standings.

Portugal dropped two places to seventh after their Round of 16 exit at the hands of eventual champions Spain. Belgium climbed to eighth, swapping places with the Netherlands, who slipped to ninth, while Mexico broke into the top 10 after rising four places following their run to the Round of 16.

Norway were the biggest gainers among the leading nations, jumping 12 places to 19th after reaching the World Cup quarter-finals, their best performance at the tournament in decades.

Germany paid the price for another underwhelming campaign, dropping out of the top 10 to 12th, one place behind Croatia. Italy, who failed to qualify for the World Cup for a third successive edition, slipped to 15th.

Further down the rankings, Tunisia suffered the biggest fall, dropping 12 places to 57th after their group-stage exit. Egypt climbed five places to 24th following their run to the Round of 16, while Paraguay moved up seven spots to 34th after also reaching the knockout stage.

Cabo Verde’s fairytale World Cup campaign was reflected in the latest rankings as they climbed three places to 64th after reaching the Round of 32. Ghana also made significant gains, rising eight places to 65th after progressing to the knockout rounds.

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