FIFA Ranking: the Argentine National Team lost the top spot and for now avoids "the No. 1 curse"

While enjoying the qualification for the quarter-finals of the 2026 World Cup, the Argentine National Team received news that at first seems bad, but in reality is not so much: after the latest update, it is no longer the leader of the FIFA ranking. The 1-0 victory of France over Paraguay allowed the European team to reclaim the top spot in the ranking, displacing Lionel Scaloni's team by a minimal margin.

The change occurred due to the real-time ranking system that FIFA uses during the World Cup. With the results recorded in the round of 16, the French team accumulated 1925.86 points, while the Albiceleste ended up with 1925.15, a difference of just 0.71 points that can still change in the upcoming rounds, as both teams remain in the competition. Meanwhile, Spain was also affected by France's rise, falling from second to third place.

In parallel, the rest of the top 10 also saw several movements: Brazil and Morocco surpassed Portugal to take 5th and 6th place respectively, Belgium displaced the Netherlands to 8th place and, with a meteoric rise, Mexico entered the top 10, pushing out Germany and Croatia. The only team that maintained its position was England (4th).

Beyond the statistical aspect, the change was received with optimism by many Argentine fans due to a striking trend that has remained since the creation of the FIFA ranking. So far, no team that played a World Cup while occupying the top spot in that ranking has managed to become champion of the tournament.

This curious streak has several precedents. Brazil arrived as the leader of the ranking at the World Cups of 1998, 2006, and 2022, but could not lift the trophy (in the first they lost in the final and in the other two in the quarter-finals). France topped the ranking before Korea-Japan 2002 and was eliminated in the group stage, the same situation that happened to Spain in Brazil 2014 and Germany in Russia 2018.

Now, with France back at the top of the ranking and Argentina in second place, the Albiceleste will continue its journey in the World Cup with its focus on the quarter-final match against Switzerland. And although losing the leadership is rarely an indicator from a sporting perspective, this time more than one will choose to stick with superstition rather than numbers.

The Top 10 of the FIFA Ranking

1. France | 1925.86 | +2

2. Argentina | 1925.15 | -1

3. Spain | 1912.34 | -1

4. England | 1871.39 | =

5. Brazil | 1804.92 | +1

6. Morocco | 1803.99 | +1