Spain reclaims FIFA top spot after 1-0 World Cup final win over Argentina, Portugal slips to seventh

Spain returns to the summit

The Spanish national team is back at the top of the FIFA world ranking, ending Argentina's reign after a 1-0 victory in the World Cup final. The match, decided after extra time on Sunday in New York, handed Spain the trophy and the number-one spot in the ranking published a day later. Spain had previously lost the lead in April 2026.

A Espanha reina no topo do futebol mundial ao destronar a Argentina no ranking FIFA após conquistar o título mundial.

Argentina, the 2022 champion, dropped to second place after the defeat. The two sides flipped positions at the very top of the standings.

Portugal's fall and the new top 10

Portugal paid the price for its round-of-16 elimination at the hands of Spain, sliding from fifth to seventh place. The drop marks the team's lowest position since April 2025 and allowed both Brazil and Morocco to leapfrog them into fifth and sixth place, respectively.

France held on to third, followed by England in fourth, after England beat France 6-4 in the third-place match. Belgium (eighth) climbed above the Netherlands (ninth). Mexico, a co-host of the tournament, re-entered the top 10 in tenth place, rising four spots and pushing Germany down to twelfth after the Germans were knocked out by Paraguay.

Movers further down the list

Switzerland and Norway were among the biggest beneficiaries of their World Cup performances. Switzerland climbed five places to 14th after reaching the quarter-finals. Norway posted an even sharper rise, moving up twelve spots to 19th place.

For Portuguese-speaking nations, Cape Verde rose three places to 63rd after reaching the round of 16 in its World Cup debut. The island nation remains the second-highest Lusophone team, behind Brazil and ahead of Angola (87th), Mozambique (103rd), Guinea-Bissau (132nd), Macau (193rd), São Tomé and Príncipe (195th), and Timor-Leste (201st).

Cabo Verde, que disputou pela primeira vez a fase final do Campeonato do Mundo e foi uma das principais surpresas da edição de 2026, ao atingir os 16 avos de final, subiu três lugares, para o 63.º.

The ranking picture

Monday's update, the first since the World Cup began on 11 June 2026, captures the turbulence of a tournament marked by unexpected results. The shifts in the top 10 and the steep climbs by sides such as Norway underscore a broader reshuffling of international football's established order.