United States in free fall

After the March international break, it’s time to assess another development that will affect the United States men’s national team – Mauricio Pochettino’s squad is set to suffer a painful drop in the next FIFA rankings. As a result of their disappointing performance in the 2024–25 CONCACAF Nations League, the Stars and Stripes will fall several places in the standings.

The next FIFA rankings update will be published on April 2, but based on point calculations – comparing those the US failed to earn with those accumulated by other national teams – it’s clear the Americans are heading for a steep decline. Here’s a look at the teams that are expected to move ahead of the USMNT.

To start, Mexico was the only nearby side to win both of its matches, and did so within the Nations League. That means El Tri will earn 50 points in the next ranking, picking up 25 for the semifinal against Canada and another 25 for the final against Panama. Meanwhile, the US lost both its semifinal and the third-place match. As a result, Mexico will rise to 1,677.4 points, while the USMNT will drop to 1,645.48.

Elsewhere, Senegal drew with Sudan (12.5 points) and then defeated Togo (25 points) in CAF qualifying for the 2026 World Cup, bringing its total to 1,674.75. Iran, meanwhile, beat the United Arab Emirates (25 points) and drew with Uzbekistan (12.5) in AFC qualifying, giving it 1,672.81 points.

USMNT’s new FIFA ranking position

Following these results, the United States is expected to fall to 19th in the global ranking – a drop of three places. Mexico will climb to 16th, Senegal will remain 17th, and Iran will secure 18th.

While it’s true that the FIFA ranking doesn’t always reflect the real quality or potential of national teams in tournament play, the US has a clear obligation to regain form ahead of June friendlies and the 2025 Gold Cup.

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