Argentina’s World Cup victory has elevated them to second place in the FIFA world rankings, but Lionel Messi’s heroics in winning the Golden Ball were insufficient to propel him to the top spot.
La Albiceleste ended their 36-year trophy drought by defeating France on penalties in a thrilling final at Qatar 2022 that ended 3-3 after extra time.
At the end of the year, Brazil, Argentina’s main rival, is ranked first in the world, despite the talisman Messi’s fifth time luck.
After losing a penalty shootout to Croatia, the Selecao was eliminated from the tournament in the quarterfinals, but Tite’s team still holds the top spot.
The Red Devils fall to fourth, ending a streak of four years in a row where Belgium finished the year as the top-ranked country in men’s international football.
France climbs the ladder one spot to sit third behind Argentina as a result of their decline, while England rounds out the top five in an unaltered position.
Spain drops to number 10 after a shocking defeat to Morocco, while Morocco moves up to number 11 and Croatia jumps to number seven at Denmark’s expense.
The Netherlands, Italy, and Portugal make up the rest of the top echelon, with Denmark suffering one of the biggest drops, down to 18th.
Germany, Uruguay, and Wales are some other nations that have seen their rankings fall as a result of poor World Cup performances, but Japan, Australia, and Cameroon have seen their rankings rise as a result of strong showings.
