FIFA Rankings: Messi's Argentina Back on Top Just Before World Cup, Spain Slips to Second

Just a week before the World Cup, Argentina has surprisingly shot back to the top of the FIFA rankings. Brazil is currently at number 6. The top five teams are Argentina, Spain, France, England, and Portugal.

Talk about a last-minute twist! Just a week before the World Cup kicks off, Argentina has climbed back to the number one spot in the FIFA rankings. Spain lost its top position after being held to a draw by Iraq in a friendly match. Lionel Messi's squad is now back on top of the latest FIFA men's world rankings with 1874.81 rating points. The interesting part? Argentina didn't even play a match recently. This shake-up is all thanks to how their rivals performed.

Portugal at 5, Brazil at 6

In the latest FIFA rankings, Brazil finds itself at the 6th spot. The top five are: 1) Argentina, 2) Spain, 3) France, 4) England, and 5) Portugal. Following Brazil are Morocco (7th), Netherlands (8th), Belgium (9th), and Germany (10th). Among Asian nations, Japan is leading at 18th place. India, meanwhile, has slipped one spot to 137th. Spain dropped to second after a 1-1 draw with Iraq, and France fell to third after a 2-1 loss to Ivory Coast.

Messi's Squad Pumped Up After Reclaiming Top Spot

This news has given Argentina a huge confidence boost right before the World Cup. After winning the 2022 Qatar World Cup, Messi's team is all set to defend its title. Under coach Lionel Scaloni's game plan, Argentina has been on a winning streak for the past few years. They won the Copa America in 2024 and also topped the South American World Cup qualifiers. Of course, the main man is still Lionel Messi. Even at 38, he's the heart and soul of the team. Backing him up in attack are stars like Julián Álvarez and Lautaro Martínez. Football pundits also believe their defence is rock-solid.

Who's in Argentina's Group?

This year's World Cup is being co-hosted by the USA, Canada, and Mexico. It's a 48-team tournament, and Argentina has been placed in Group J. They will face Algeria, Austria, and Jordan in the group stage. Their campaign kicks off with a match against Algeria in Kansas City. But here's a bit of trivia for you: since the FIFA rankings started in 1993, no team that was ranked number one right before the World Cup has ever gone on to win the trophy. Messi and his team now have a chance to break that jinx.