Spain Reclaim World No. 1 as Morocco Hits Historic High in Post-World Cup FIFA Rankings

One day after the 2026 World Cup final, FIFA released its updated men's world ranking on July 20, reflecting results from the tournament co-hosted by the United States, Mexico, and Canada. The list will stand until the next update on October 7, when the new international qualifying window begins. Spain reclaimed the world No. 1 spot after winning their second World Cup title, beating Argentina 1-0 after extra time in the final. Despite reaching the final, Argentina slipped one place to No. 2. France held on to third place even after losing the third-place playoff to England, who finish fourth in the ranking despite claiming bronze on the pitch. Spain, Argentina, France and England now occupy both the World Cup's final four places and the top four of the FIFA ranking at the same time — a rare alignment. Full top 10:

1. Spain (+1)
2. Argentina (-1)
3. France (=)
4. England (=)
5. Brazil (+1)
6. Morocco (+1) — best-ever ranking
7. Portugal (-2)
8. Belgium (+1)
9. Netherlands (-1)
10. Mexico (+4)

For Moroccan fans, the standout story is Morocco reaching a historic sixth place, their best-ever ranking position, on the back of a run to the World Cup quarterfinals before falling 2-0 to France on July 9. It's the latest step in the Atlas Lions' rise since Qatar 2022. Outside the top ten, Germany dropped out for the first time in years, down to 12th after a round-of-16 exit, while Norway posted the biggest rise anywhere in the list, up 12 places to 19th.