Spain’s dramatic FIFA World Cup triumph has earned them more than a second global title, it has crowned them the new kings of world football.
The latest FIFA men’s rankings released on Monday saw La Roja dethrone Argentina to claim the No. 1 spot after Ferran Torres’ unforgettable extra-time winner sealed a tense 1-0 victory in the World Cup final in New Jersey.
For Torres, the goal was the defining moment of a career. For Spain, it marked a return to football’s summit both on the pitch and in the rankings.
The world champions amassed 1,995.88 ranking points after gaining more than 121 points during the tournament, overtaking defending champions Argentina, who slipped to second with 1,970.37 points despite reaching the final.
The rankings underline just how dramatically fortunes changed during a World Cup that produced stunning upsets, new heroes and shifting global power.
France retained third place on 1,948.97 points despite their entertaining 6-4 defeat to England in the placement match, while England remained fourth after the high-scoring victory boosted their points tally. Brazil climbed into fifth place even after suffering a surprise defeat to Norway.
One of the biggest success stories came from Africa, where Morocco continued their remarkable rise in world football. Their impressive run to the quarter-finals propelled the Atlas Lions to sixth in the world, consolidating their status as Africa’s highest-ranked team.
For Nigeria, however, the latest rankings delivered mixed emotions.
Although the Super Eagles held on to 26th position globally, they lost ground on the continent, dropping to fourth in Africa after Egypt’s spirited World Cup campaign.
The Pharaohs’ run to the Round of 16, where they stretched eventual runners-up Argentina before bowing out, earned them enough ranking points to leapfrog Nigeria.
Another feel-good story belonged to Norway, whose fearless World Cup campaign transformed them from outsiders into one of football’s biggest movers. Inspired by their shock victory over Brazil, the Scandinavians climbed 12 places to 19th—the biggest rise among the world’s top teams.
Elsewhere, Portugal held on to seventh place ahead of Belgium and the Netherlands, while Mexico’s impressive World Cup showing lifted El Tri into the world’s top 10, pushing former champions Germany and Italy out of the elite bracket.
Germany dropped to 12th despite entering the tournament among the favourites, while Italy slid to 15th after another disappointing campaign.
Colombia narrowly missed the top 10 in 11th, Croatia occupied 13th, Switzerland finished 14th, the United States ranked 16th, Japan 17th, Senegal 18th and Uruguay completed the top 20.
The latest rankings will remain in effect until FIFA’s next official update on October 7, leaving Spain to enjoy life at the top after a World Cup that reshaped the global football order and produced a new generation of heroes.
