In the new ranking of national football teams published by the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA), the Ukrainian team dropped two spots and is now in 28th place. The current leader of the ranking also changed, with the Spanish national team taking the top spot. This was reported on the FIFA website, writes UNN.
Details
After a break following the resounding success of the first FIFA Club World Cup in the summer, international men's football returned to the global stage with a new round of FIFA World Cup 26 qualifying matches.
Many games took place this month in Europe, America, and Africa. The International Federation emphasized the high level of competition among national teams trying to qualify for the main part of the World Cup, which will be held in 2026.
READ. FIFA's international match calendar has undergone changes.
Since the last update of the FIFA/Coca-Cola Men's World Ranking, national teams have played more than 200 official matches, which significantly affected the balance of power in world football.
The most significant change was in the ranking leader. The Euro 2024 champions, the Spanish national team, rose to first place, which happened for the first time since June 2014. Spain displaced Argentina, which dropped to third position after a long leadership since April 2023. France currently holds second place, having recently beaten Ukraine in the qualifying cycle for the 2026 World Cup.
In turn, the Ukrainian national team lost two positions in the ranking after losing to the French and drawing with the Azerbaijan team. Currently, Serhiy Rebrov's team is in 28th place.
Reference
The final tournament of the 2026 World Cup will take place from June 11 to July 19, 2026, in the USA, Canada, and Mexico. From Europe, the winners of their groups will qualify, and the teams that finish second will compete for a ticket to the World Cup in the playoffs.
Recall
On September 5, the Ukrainian national football team lost to France 0-2 in Poland in the first match of the 2026 World Cup qualification. Olise and Mbappé scored for France.
On September 9, the Ukrainian national football team drew 1-1 with Azerbaijan in the 2026 World Cup qualification. Georgiy Sudakov scored for Ukraine, but the Azerbaijan team equalized by converting a penalty.