Defending FIFA World Cup champions Argentina have climbed back to the top of the FIFA Men’s World Rankings just hours before the start of the 2026 World Cup. The latest rankings place Lionel Messi’s side at No. 1, marking their return to the summit for the first time since July 2025.Argentina moved up two places from third after securing impressive victories over Iceland and Honduras in their World Cup warm-up fixtures. The reigning world champions will begin their title defence in Group J, with their opening match scheduled against Algeria in Kansas City. They will then face Austria and Jordan in their remaining group-stage encounters.Spain retained second place in the rankings, while France slipped from first to third following a mixed preparation campaign. The French side suffered a defeat against Ivory Coast before bouncing back with a victory over Northern Ireland.England remained fourth in the standings, while Portugal completed the top five. Brazil stayed sixth despite no movement in the rankings. Morocco climbed one position to seventh, pushing the Netherlands down to eighth. Belgium and Germany retained ninth and tenth spots respectively.Among the 2026 FIFA World Cup co-hosts, Mexico emerged as the highest-ranked team, rising one place to 14th. The United States slipped to 17th, while Canada remained 30th in the latest rankings.Mexico will kick off the tournament against South Africa in the opening match at the Estadio Azteca. Canada begin their campaign against Bosnia and Herzegovina, while the United States are set to take on Paraguay in their first group-stage fixture.Italy, ranked 12th in the world, are the highest-ranked nation not participating in the tournament after failing to qualify. Denmark and Nigeria, ranked 21st and 26th respectively, also missed out on a place at the expanded 48-team World Cup.
