Victories against Bulgaria and Turkey, coupled with Argentina’s defeat to Ecuador, will see Spain rise to the top of the FIFA rankings, a position they haven’t held for 11 years.
With the next World Cup just months away, Spain are set to ascend to the summit of the FIFA rankings. Luis de la Fuente’s side were ruthless in their World Cup qualifying campaign, securing two wins against Bulgaria and Turkey (27th). However, these victories alone weren’t enough to challenge for the top spot, previously held by Argentina.
Spain, who were second, will now climb to the top of the FIFA rankings thanks to Argentina’s 1-0 defeat to Ecuador in their last qualifier. In a match where Lionel Scaloni’s team had little to play for beyond defending their throne, which they had ascended to amidst international success, they faltered. This latest update will be made official on 18th September, when FIFA is scheduled to refresh its rankings.
The Spanish national team are returning to a top spot they last enjoyed in June 2014, just before the World Cup that marked a painful end to a golden generation. Back then, they were first, with Germany and Brazil in second and third place respectively. Now, ‘La Roja’ take on that responsibility again in another promising cycle, already buoyed by their Euro triumph last summer.
The arrival of Luis de la Fuente, alongside the emergence of a generation blessed with undeniable talent, has been pivotal in this process. In March 2023, when the manager took charge, Spain were tenth in the FIFA rankings with 1,693 points. Now, they will be first with 1,875.
The impact of players like Pedri and Lamine Yamal has been similar. The No 10 made his debut for the national team in Georgia in September 2023. A month later, Spain had already climbed one place to eighth. They held that position until winning the Euros last summer, which propelled them to third, behind only France and Argentina. In April 2025, they overtook the French, and in a few days, they will officially surpass Argentina as well.
The upcoming FIFA rankings:
- Spain (1,875 points)
- France (1,871 points)
- Argentina (1,870 points)
- England (1,820 points)
- Portugal (1,780 points)
- Brazil (1,762 points)
- Netherlands (1,754 points)
- Belgium (1,740 points)
- Croatia (1,714 points)
- Italy (1,710 points)