Argentina will enter the 2026 World Cup as the top-ranked team on the planet. FIFA published its latest Men’s World Ranking on June 11, and Lionel Scaloni’s side climbed two places to reclaim the number one position, edging out Spain and France at the top of international football’s hierarchy.
The margin separating the top two teams is razor-thin. Argentina sits on 1877.27 points, while Spain trails with 1874.71. That’s a gap of roughly 2.5 points, or about 0.13% of Argentina’s total.
How Argentina got here
France, who had climbed to the top of the rankings as recently as April 2026, lost to Côte d’Ivoire in a pre-World Cup friendly. They salvaged some dignity with a win over Northern Ireland, but the damage was done.
Spain’s path was similarly bumpy. A draw with Iraq cost them crucial ranking points. A subsequent win against Peru helped stop the bleeding but wasn’t enough to hold off Argentina’s climb.
