Mbappe’s France surpass Messi’s Argentina in the FIFA Ranking, while Ronaldo’s Portugal enter the top 5
The latest FIFA window ahead of the 2026 World Cup is underway, and there have already been significant movements following recent friendlies. France, with Kylian Mbappe, move up to second place in the rankings after a win over Brazil, surpassing Lionel Messi‘s Argentina. Another notable change sees Portugal enter the top 5 despite the absence of Cristiano Ronaldo during this window.
France’s 2-1 victory over Brazil earned Didier Deschamps’ team 3.96 points, enough to push the reigning world champions down to third place. Mbappe played a decisive role, scoring a standout goal. The cancellation of the Finalissima and the lower coefficient of recent opponents have impacted Argentina’s position, after they had already lost the top spot to Spain following 29 months at No. 1.
The current ranking reflects a tight race at the top. Spain lead with 1877.18 points, followed by France with 1873.96, while Argentina sit third with 1873.33. Portugal climb to fifth place and could strengthen their position with a win in their next match against Mexico, even without Cristiano Ronaldo due to injury. Brazil drop to sixth, while England remain fourth.
The top 10 of the ranking
The most relevant movements are those already mentioned, but this is a list to monitor closely ahead of the World Cup, as it includes the main contenders for the title. Here is the top 10:
Kylian Mbappe of France
- Spain (1877.18)
- France (1873.96)
- Argentina (1873.33)
- England (1834.12)
- Portugal (1760.38)
- Brazil (1756.49)
- Netherlands (1756.27)
- Morocco (1754.59)
- Belgium (1730.71)
- Germany (1724.15)
Expectations for the end of the window
Beyond the battle at the top, the update also reflects interesting movement among other teams in the region. Chile are the South American side that gained the most ground, moving up three positions to 52nd after a win over Cabo Verde.
It is important to note that this ranking remains provisional in terms of its full statistical impact. The official FIFA ranking will be released once the entire international window concludes, when all match results are accounted for, including Argentina’s game at La Bombonera, which could help them recover lost ground.