Kylian Mbappé, Lionel Messi, Lamine Yamal (Photo by Mateusz Slodkowski, Julian Finney, Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images)
The latest FIFA World Rankings have been released and are now updated in real-time so you can track the world’s best national teams in the lead-up to the 2026 World Cup.
There has been an interesting development recently in the rankings by FIFA’s official website, with Morocco moving up three places to number 8 in the world.
Belgium and Germany, on the other hand, are down one place, but there is no change near the top as the usual contenders position themselves as favorites to win.
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Read about the current top 10 national teams in the world as you gain insight into the favorites to win this summer’s World Cup…
FIFA World Ranking
1) Spain – 1877.18 points
It’s no surprise that Spain top this list after winning Euro 2024, and with world-class talent such as Lamine Yamal and Pedri, they are sure to be a force to watch at the 2026 World Cup. The last time they won this trophy, they came into this tournament on the back of their success at the Euros two years ago, so this bodes well for them as they aim to win this title for the second time.
2) Argentina – 1873.33 points
Reigning world champions Argentina aim to retain their title this summer and are only behind favorites Spain. But Lionel Messi is now four years older and undoubtedly well past his prime, but how important does that matter to the South American giants?
3) France – 1870.00 points
On paper, they’re probably the best team in the tournament. France’s squad is packed with superstars, with Kylian Mbappé, Michael Olysee and William Saliba arguably the best players in the world in their respective positions at the moment, but even current Ballon d’Or winner Ousmane Dembele is not guaranteed a starting place. Les Bleus last won the trophy in 2018 and are now hoping to make up for the loss in the 2022 final.
4) England – 1834.12 points
Will this finally be England’s year? Sitting fourth in the world rankings, they are certainly stronger than ever and will be hoping new manager Thomas Tuchel will be key to taking the step forward Gareth Southgate was able to achieve.
5) Brazil – 1760.46 points
Can Brazil, the team with the most World Cup appearances but without a win since 2002, finally regain their status as a powerhouse in world football?Although they may not be the Brazil of old, this team is loaded with talent, manager Carlo Ancelotti is a trophy-winning machine at club level, and could be the key to bringing Brazil a sixth World Cup.
| Most World Cup wins by country | Number of titles |
| Brazil | 5 – 1958, 1962, 1970, 1994, 2002 |
| Germany | 4 – 1954, 1974, 1990, 2014 |
| Italy | 4 – 1934, 1938, 1982, 2006 |
| Argentina | 3 – 1978, 1986, 2022 |
| France | 2 – 1998, 2018 |
| Uruguay | 2 – 1930, 1950 |
| england | 1 – 1966 |
| Spain | 1 – 2010 |
6) Portugal – 1760.38 points
Messi finally achieved the World Cup in 2022, but will Cristiano Ronaldo be able to do it with Portugal in 2026? His country is clearly not favorites to win, but their sixth place in the world rankings means they are on par with the best of the day. With a little bit of luck, Ronaldo could finally get his hands on that elusive trophy and end his career on a high.
7) Netherlands – 1756.27 points
Remarkably, although the Netherlands have yet to win a World Cup, they continue to rank high alongside the best teams in world football, and currently sit in seventh place in the world rankings. This is not as great an aspect as the previous teams, but it can never be ruled out.
8) Morocco – 1736.57 points
Morocco, who controversially emerged as AFCON winners after overturning their final defeat to Senegal in January, have made great progress and will be hoping to build on their momentum from the last World Cup to reach the semi-finals.
9) Belgium – 1730.71 points
Ninth place is a reasonable result here for Belgium, whose golden days of players like Eden Hazard and Kevin De Bruyne are behind them, but they still have a lot of talent in their team that could do decently at the World Cup.
10) Germany – 1724.15 points
Despite Germany’s impressive history of winning the World Cup four times, they haven’t been at their best for a while. It’s difficult to replace recent legends like Thomas Muller, Toni Kroos and Mesut Ozil, but they often find a way to perform well in major tournaments, so even if they’re not a vintage team, they might do it again.
