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Spain celebrate winning the 2026 FIFA World Cup as the latest FIFA world rankings are released.

Spain lead the latest FIFA men's world rankings after lifting the 2026 FIFA World Cup, while South Africa have climbed to 54th in the world following their historic campaign.

Home Sports Spain Return to World No. 1 as Bafana Bafana Climb in Latest FIFA Rankings

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Spain Return to World No. 1 as Bafana Bafana Climb in Latest FIFA Rankings

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Spain have reclaimed top spot in the FIFA men’s world rankings after defeating Argentina 1-0 after extra time to win the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

The latest rankings, released following the tournament, also mark a historic first, with the four World Cup semifinalists occupying the top four places in the global standings.

Spain lead the world rankings

The World Cup champions climbed one place to move to the top of the rankings, while runners-up Argentina also gained one position to finish second.

France dropped two places to third after reaching the semifinals, while England remained fourth.

FIFA men’s top 10 rankings

Spain (up 1)
Argentina (up 1)
France (down 2)
England (no change)
Brazil (up 1)
Morocco (up 2)
Portugal (down 2)
Belgium (up 1)
Netherlands (down 2)
Mexico (up 5)

Biggest movers after the World Cup

Several nations recorded significant movement following their performances at the tournament.

Norway climbed 12 places to 19th after an impressive run to the World Cup quarterfinals, making them the biggest movers in the latest rankings.

Germany dropped out of the top 10 and now sits 12th after a disappointing campaign.

Tunisia recorded the largest decline, falling 13 places to 57th after suffering three heavy defeats during the group stage.

Bafana Bafana move up six places

South Africa also enjoyed a significant rise in the latest FIFA rankings.

Bafana Bafana climbed six places from 60th to 54th following their historic performance at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

The team reached the Round of 32 after progressing beyond the group stage for the first time in the nation’s history.

Bafana Bafana’s latest FIFA ranking

Global ranking: 54th (up six places)
CAF ranking: 10th in Africa
2026 FIFA World Cup finish: 25th overall out of the 48 competing nations, based on tournament performance metrics

The latest rankings reflect South Africa’s continued progress under Hugo Broos following the country’s best-ever FIFA World Cup campaign.

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