Argentina stay as No 1 football team

ISLAMABAD: Argentina stay as the No.1 FIFA Men’s World Ranking team following the World Cup qualifiers.

Argentina remain on top of the table thanks to impressive wins away to Uruguay (1-0) and at home to Brazil (4-1), but the Albiceleste have new company, as Spain (2nd, up 1) took full advantage of France’s (3rd, down 1) slip-up in Croatia to secure second spot. Les Bleus nevertheless remain on the podium, with England (4th) looking on and Brazil (5th) completing the top 5.

The Netherlands (6th, up 1) are in close pursuit of the leading pack, having overtaken Portugal (7th, down 1). Belgium (8th), Italy (9th) and Germany (10th) have all preserved their top-10 berths, while Croatia (11th, up 2) and Morocco (12th, up 2) are breathing down their necks. Mexico (17th, up 2) have boosted their rank by lifting the CONCACAF Nations League title, while runners-up Panama (33rd, up 3) have been rewarded for their fine performance.

Norway (38th, up 5), Czechia (39th, up 3) and Côte d’Ivoire (41st, up 5) have made notable headway, while positive results for Paraguay (48th, up 5) and Tunisia (49th, up 3) have seen them return to the top 50 following a recent hiatus.

Slovenia (51st, up 4), Bosnia and Herzegovina (70th, up 4) and Gabon (79th, up 5) are also amongst the risers, while Kyrgyz Republic (103rd, up 4), Vietnam (109th, up 5), Zimbabwe (116th, up 5), Sierra Leone (124th, up 5), the Philippines (146th, up 4) and Eswatini (155th, up 4) have all made similar leaps. But it is Myanmar (162nd, up 7) who are the biggest climbers in terms of rank.

Last but not least, Canada (30th, up 1) and Kosovo (97th, up 2) each find themselves in their highest-ever position in this, the April 2025 ranking. Pakistan’s ranking stayed at No 198 on the latest list released by FIFA.