New FIFA rankings reveal shocks for Spain and USMNT

Spain is back at the top of world football. The national team has climbed to first place in the FIFA rankings for the first time since its golden era, when La Roja won Euro 2008, the 2010 World Cup, and Euro 2012, cementing themselves as the best team in the world.

The last time Spain occupied the number one spot was in June 2014, just before the World Cup in Brazil that ended their era of dominance. More than eleven years have passed since then—years of struggle and rebuilding—that finally come to an end today with Spain’s return to the summit. Their rise comes after more than a year of chasing Argentina and France at the top.

The decisive moment arrived when Lionel Scaloni’s Argentina lost 1–0 to Ecuador in the latest round of South American qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup, while Spain’s victory over Turkey allowed them to leapfrog the Albiceleste and end their two-and-a-half-year reign.

Under Luis de la Fuente, Spain’s resurgence has been meteoric. Since taking charge in December 2022—when La Roja were ranked 10th after a disappointing round-of-16 exit to Morocco at the Qatar World Cup—De la Fuente has rebuilt the team and guided them back to the top. Spain has gone 27 official matches without defeat (the only blemish a penalty shootout loss to Portugal in the Nations League final), and are unbeaten in 22 matches since a 1–0 friendly defeat to Colombia in March 2024.

Spain now sit on 1,875.37 points (up from 1,867.09) following their wins over Bulgaria and Turkey. France hold second place with 1,870.92 points despite recent losses to Ukraine and Iceland. Argentina, after their stumble against Ecuador, slip to third with 1,870.32 points—just five behind Spain—setting up a thrilling battle between the three giants in the October international break. Spain will host Georgia and Bulgaria, France face Azerbaijan and Iceland, and Argentina have friendlies lined up against Venezuela and Puerto Rico.

La Roja’s charge to the top has been fueled by their victories in the 2023 Nations League Final Four, their Euro 2024 triumph, and a runner-up finish in the 2025 Nations League. These results have firmly re-established Spain among the favorites for the 2026 World Cup in the USA, Mexico, and Canada.

Yet history offers a warning. The FIFA ranking carries a dark reputation—a poisoned prize for the team that reaches a World Cup as number one. No nation that arrived at the tournament as the top-ranked team has ever gone on to lift the trophy. Spain learned this the hard way in 2014, crashing out in the group stage despite entering Brazil as reigning world and European champions.

The curse has claimed others, too. Brazil topped the rankings in 2022 but fell in the quarter-finals, while champions Argentina had started that tournament ranked third. Germany suffered a similar fate in 2018: they entered Russia ranked first, only to exit at the group stage, while seventh-ranked France went on to win it all.

With just nine months to go until the 2026 World Cup, Spain not only have to defend their number one ranking but also attempt to break the curse.

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As for the USMNT, they dropped one place from 15th to 16th in the world, with Marcelo Bielsa’s all-action Uruguay side taking their place after performing superbly well in recent weeks and months under the tutelage of the legendary Argentine.

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