Key Stats from FIFA’s Champions League Quarterfinals: Match of the Month!
The World Cup in the United States is about to get under way with Argentina, Spain, and England among the leading contenders.
FIFA rankings for all 48 World Cup teams: How are they calculated and when are they updated? originally appeared on The Sporting News . Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here .
FIFA rankings are a unique way to measure how national teams compare to each other and can prove important when it comes to tournaments like a World Cup. Draws for such events are influenced by rankings, with the best teams separated from facing each other in the group stages. This means nations with lower rankings are often drawn in tougher groups and have an even tougher task to win the overall tournament.
FIFA rankings aren't perfect and have come in for criticism in recent years, but they do provide a solid and reliable overview of a side's general consistency and how they'll likely fair come World Cup time. MORE: 2026 FIFA World Cup schedule, fixtures, bracket, and draw breakdown FIFA rankings for all 32 World Cup teams As the 2026 World Cup nears, Spain are hoping to maintain their status as the world No. 1.
They have been in the top spot since September 2025 when they jumped up from No. 2 to take over from Argentina. As it currently stands, the lowest-ranked team in the 2026 World Cup field is New Zealand, who stand at 85th in the world.
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