As the 2026 North America World Cup heats up with surprises and close matches in the group stage, attention is turning to the FIFA rankings of the participating nations.
According to the FIFA men's rankings released just before the World Cup, defending champion Argentina holds the top spot. Argentina moved ahead of France to claim the number one ranking following the results of pre-tournament friendlies. Spain is ranked second, followed by France in third, England in fourth, and Portugal in fifth.
Traditional powerhouse Brazil ranks sixth, followed by Morocco at seventh, the Netherlands at eighth, Belgium at ninth, and Germany at tenth. Morocco is the highest-ranked African team among the World Cup participants.
South Korea is ranked 25th. Among Asian Football Confederation (AFC) members, Japan is the highest at 18th, followed by Iran at 20th, South Korea at 25th, and Australia at 27th. Among the host nations, Mexico ranks highest at 14th, with the United States at 17th and Canada at 30th.
The lowest-ranked team among the World Cup participants is New Zealand, sitting at 85th, lower than Haiti at 83rd and Curaçao at 82nd. Cape Verde, making its World Cup debut, is ranked 67th, Uzbekistan at 50th, Jordan at 63rd, and Curaçao at 82nd.
FIFA rankings do not guarantee World Cup success. For instance, Italy, ranked 12th, and Denmark, ranked 21st, failed to qualify for the tournament. Conversely, lower-ranked teams like Cape Verde, Jordan, Uzbekistan, and Curaçao successfully advanced through the qualifiers to reach the World Cup stage.
Some groups show significant ranking disparities. Group H includes second-ranked Spain, 16th-ranked Uruguay, 61st-ranked Saudi Arabia, and 67th-ranked Cape Verde. Group J features first-ranked Argentina, 24th-ranked Austria, 28th-ranked Algeria, and 63rd-ranked Jordan. Group K consists of fifth-ranked Portugal, 13th-ranked Colombia, 46th-ranked DR Congo, and 50th-ranked Uzbekistan.
South Korea's group, Group A, includes 14th-ranked Mexico, 25th-ranked South Korea, 40th-ranked Czech Republic, and 60th-ranked South Africa. Based on rankings, Mexico is the highest, followed by South Korea. South Korea started strong, securing three points with a 2-1 victory over the Czech Republic in their opening match.
Japan's group, Group F, consists of eighth-ranked Netherlands, 18th-ranked Japan, 38th-ranked Sweden, and 45th-ranked Tunisia. Japan earned one point in their first match, drawing 2-2 against the Netherlands, a higher-ranked team.
The 2026 North America World Cup will feature 48 teams. The top two teams from each of the 12 groups, along with the eight best third-placed teams, will advance to the knockout stage. Various criteria, including points, head-to-head records, goal difference, total goals scored, and fair play points, will be used to determine standings. If teams remain tied, FIFA rankings will also be considered as a tiebreaker.
▲ Key FIFA Rankings for 2026 North America World Cup
1. Argentina
2. Spain
3. France
4. England
5. Portugal
6. Brazil
7. Morocco
8. Netherlands
9. Belgium
10. Germany
14. Mexico
17. United States
18. Japan
20. Iran
25. South Korea
27. Australia
30. Canada
38. Sweden
40. Czech Republic
45. Tunisia
50. Uzbekistan
60. South Africa
67. Cape Verde
82. Curaçao
83. Haiti
85. New Zealand
▲ Group / Team FIFA Rankings
Group A Mexico 14th, South Korea 25th, Czech Republic 40th, South Africa 60th
Group B Switzerland 19th, Canada 30th, Qatar 56th, Bosnia and Herzegovina 64th
Group C Brazil 6th, Morocco 7th, Scotland 42nd, Haiti 83rd
Group D United States 17th, Turkey 22nd, Australia 27th, Paraguay 41st
Group E Germany 10th, Ecuador 23rd, Ivory Coast 33rd, Curaçao 82nd
Group F Netherlands 8th, Japan 18th, Sweden 38th, Tunisia 45th
Group G Belgium 9th, Iran 20th, Egypt 29th, New Zealand 85th
Group H Spain 2nd, Uruguay 16th, Saudi Arabia 61st, Cape Verde 67th
Group I France 3rd, Senegal 15th, Norway 31st, Iraq 57th
Group J Argentina 1st, Austria 24th, Algeria 28th, Jordan 63rd
Group K Portugal 5th, Colombia 13th, DR Congo 46th, Uzbekistan 50th
Group L England 4th, Croatia 11th, Panama 34th, Ghana 73rd
* This article has been translated by AI.
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