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Spain return to No. 1 in FIFA rankings, Türkiye tumble 10 places

by Daily Sabah with Agencies

ISTANBUL Jul 21, 2026 - 10:03 am GMT+3
Edited By Kelvin Ndunga
Spain's Rodri celebrates with the World Cup trophy and teammates on stage at Cibeles Square after the victory parade as fans gather to celebrate winning the World Cup, Madrid, Spain, July 20, 2026. (Reuters Photo)
Spain's Rodri celebrates with the World Cup trophy and teammates on stage at Cibeles Square after the victory parade as fans gather to celebrate winning the World Cup, Madrid, Spain, July 20, 2026. (Reuters Photo)
by Daily Sabah with Agencies Jul 21, 2026 10:03 am
Edited By Kelvin Ndunga

Spain were rewarded for their World Cup-winning campaign by climbing back to the top of the FIFA men's world rankings, while Türkiye dropped 10 places after a disappointing group-stage exit at the 2026 tournament.

The latest FIFA/Coca-Cola Men's World Rankings, released Monday following the conclusion of the World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico, reflected the dramatic shifts caused by football's biggest tournament, with Spain replacing Argentina at the summit after lifting their second world title.

Spain sealed the championship with a 1-0 extra-time victory over defending champions Argentina at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.

Ferran Torres scored the decisive goal in the 106th minute to secure Spain's first World Cup title since 2010 after a defensive masterclass that saw them concede just one goal throughout the tournament.

Their impressive run earned them a 30.27-point increase, taking them to 1,995.88 points and back to the top of the rankings.

Argentina, who had entered the tournament as reigning world champions, slipped to second with 1,970.37 points after finishing runners-up for the second consecutive World Cup. The final could also mark Lionel Messi's last appearance in a major international tournament.

France remained third with 1,948.97 points, followed by England in fourth and Brazil in fifth. Morocco held onto sixth place ahead of Portugal, Belgium, the Netherlands and Mexico, who returned to the top 10 for the first time since March 2022 after reaching the round of 16 as one of the tournament's co-hosts.

Türkiye suffer costly drop

Türkiye endured one of the biggest ranking declines following an underwhelming World Cup campaign.

Returning to football's biggest stage for the first time in more than two decades, Vincenzo Montella's side failed to progress beyond the group stage after finishing behind Australia and Paraguay in Group D, which also included the United States.

The early exit cost Türkiye 10 places, dropping them to 27th in the latest rankings.

Despite entering the tournament with optimism surrounding a talented young generation led by Arda Güler and Kenan Yıldız, Türkiye were unable to build momentum against experienced opposition and now face the task of rebuilding ahead of their next qualifying campaign.

Norway make biggest leap

Norway emerged as one of the tournament's biggest success stories.

Powered by Erling Haaland, the Scandinavians reached the quarterfinals and climbed 12 places to 19th, one of the largest improvements in the rankings after collecting valuable results against higher-ranked opponents.

Germany, meanwhile, endured one of their poorest World Cup campaigns in recent history. The four-time champions were eliminated in the round of 32 by Paraguay and dropped to 12th in the standings.

Top 10 FIFA men's world rankings (July 20, 2026)

Spain - 1,995.88

Argentina - 1,970.37

France - 1,948.97

England - 1,922.83

Brazil - 1,804.92

Morocco - 1,803.99

Portugal - 1,787.85

Belgium - 1,778.36

Netherlands - 1,775.54

Mexico - 1,754.30

The rankings are calculated using FIFA's Elo-based points system, which weighs results according to the strength of opponents and the importance of each match, with World Cup fixtures carrying the highest value.

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  • Last Update: Jul 21, 2026 1:03 pm
    KEYWORDS
    2026 fifa world cup fifa fifa world rankings football türkİye ferran torres
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