Messi and Argentina soar high on the FIFA rankings

The Argentina national team has notably improved their position on the FIFA rankings after securing back-to-back victories in the recent October FIFA Days.

With the 2026 World Cup approaching, the two finalists from the Qatar 2022 tournament, Argentina and France, continue to closely compete at the top of the FIFA rankings. France overtook Argentina in September, but without Mbappe, they have been surpassed again by Messi’s team in this race.

Argentina is expected to reclaim second place in the upcoming ranking update, while France will drop to third. The reigning world champions won both friendlies against Venezuela and Puerto Rico in October, whereas Les Bleus managed only a 2-2 draw against Iceland after defeating Azerbaijan 3-0 in the European World Cup qualifiers.

Mbappe’s absence in the match against Iceland significantly impacted France’s results. The Real Madrid forward was sidelined due to a right ankle injury sustained in the previous game. Although he scored the opening goal against Azerbaijan, he had to leave the field in the 83rd minute and was unable to play in the next match.

FIFA will release the updated world rankings on October 22, officially confirming Argentina’s rise. This is good news for Messi and his teammates, who lost the top spot in September after a defeat to Ecuador in the South American World Cup qualifiers, allowing Spain, led by Lamine Yamal, to surpass them.

Previously, Argentina, coached by Lionel Scaloni, held the number one world ranking for over two years since April 2023, the time when they won the 2022 World Cup by defeating France in Qatar.

While France failed to win against Iceland due to Mbappe’s return to Madrid for treatment, Argentina managed to beat Venezuela without Messi, before their captain returned to help secure victory over Puerto Rico. The FIFA rankings are likely to continue shifting with updates in November, March, and June ahead of the 2026 World Cup.​

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