A whopping 165 international fixtures were contested in October, including the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, 2024 European Championship qualifiers, and CONCACAF Nations League fixtures. Taking the results from all those matches into account, FIFA, the international governing body of association soccer, released the latest Men’s World Rankings on October 26.
As always, there has been some movement at the top-most bracket of the spectrum, with Brazil and Croatia suffering big blows owing to their sub-par displays earlier this month. Read on to check out how the other top teams fared and meet the top 10 nations as per FIFA’s latest Men’s World Rankings.
#10 Croatia – 1711.88 Points
With 1711.88 points, Croatia have claimed the 10th spot in FIFA Men’s Rankings.
Luka Modric and Co. have endured a fall from grace since the rankings on September 21. They have lost a massive 35.95 points in the last month, dropping from sixth place to tenth. Croatia lost both of their matches in October. They first fell to a 1-0 defeat to Turkey, before succumbing to another 2-1 loss to Wales.
#9 Italy – 1717.81 Points
Four-time world champions Italy are currently the ninth-best team according to FIFA, having amassed a total of 1717.81 points.
Italy bagged a comfortable 4-0 victory over Malta in their first 2024 European Championship qualifier in October. However, they stumbled in front of the mighty England, losing 3-1 at the Wembley Stadium. Due to the heavy defeat, Italy have lost 9.56 points since September.
#8 Spain – 1725.97 Points
Accumulating 1725.97 points, Spain have risen to eighth place in the FIFA Men’s World Rankings. They have gained 15.25 points since the rankings on September 21, climbing a couple of places to secure the eighth spot.
Spain came out on top in both of their 2024 European Championship qualifiers in October. They first beat Scotland 2-0 at the Estadio de La Cartuja before beating Erling Haaland’s Norway 1-0 away from home.
#7 Netherlands – 1739.26 Points
With 1739.26 points on the board, Netherlands remain in seventh place in the FIFA Men’s Rankings.
The Dutch have lost 3.89 points since the rankings in September, owing to their 2-1 defeat to France in the 2024 European Championship qualifiers. They, however, did respectable damage control by beating Greece 1-0 away from home.
#6 Portugal – 1739.83 Points
Amassing a total of 1739.83 points, Portugal have climbed up to sixth place in FIFA Men’s Rankings. They were in eighth place in the September rankings.
Portugal came out on top in both of their 2024 European Championship qualifiers in October. They first took on Slovakia, beating them 3-2 at home. Then they traveled to Bosnia & Herzegovina, bagging a 5-0 victory away from home. Courtesy of their triumphs, Os Navegadores have gained a handsome 11.25 points since September.
#5 Belgium – 1793.71 Points
Former topper Belgium are currently in fifth place in FIFA Men’s Rankings with a total of 1793.71 points.
Belgium, who have gained 1.07 points since September, played only one match in October, against Austria, as their other game against Sweden was canceled. In the game against Austria, Belgium nicked a hard-fought 3-2 victory away from home.
#4 England – 1807.88 Points
Pushing their total to 1807.88 points, Gareth Southgate’s England have stayed put in the fourth spot in FIFA Men’s Rankings.
The Three Lions enjoyed a fruitful October, winning both their matches. They first bagged a 1-0 win over Australia in a friendly encounter before beating Italy 3-1 in a 2024 European Championship qualifier. Thanks to their consecutive victories, England have gained a cool 13.54 points since September.
#3 Brazil – 1812.2 Points
Five-time world champions Brazil are sitting in third place with 1812.2 points under their belt. However, if they do not fix their act, England will not hesitate to bump them off the top three in the upcoming rankings.
Brazil shockingly dropped points in both their 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers in October. They drew 1-1 with Venezuela before succumbing to a 2-0 defeat to Uruguay. As a consequence of the two disappointing results, the Selecao have lost 25.41 points since September.
#2 France – 1853.11 Points
Two-time world champions France have secured the second spot with an impressive total of 1853.11 points. Les Bleus have been in this position since April 6, 2023.
France played two matches in October. They first took on the Netherlands in the 2024 European Championship qualifiers, coming away with a 2-1 victory. Next, they met Scotland in a friendly, which ended in a comfortable 4-1 victory for Kylian Mbappe and Co. Two back-to-back wins allowed France to gain 12.35 points since the rankings on September 21.
#1 Argentina – 1861.29 Points
With 1861.29 points, 2022 FIFA World Cup winners Argentina sit at the top of the pile. La Albiceleste have held this position since April 2023.
Lionel Messi’s side won both their 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers in October. They first picked up a slender 1-0 win over Paraguay before beating Peru 2-0 away from home. As a result, they have gained 9.88 points since the rankings in September.
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