Soccer-Spain go back to top of FIFA rankings, Morocco reach record high


Soccer Football - FIFA World Cup 2026 - Spain players return to Madrid after winning the World Cup - Madrid, Spain - July 20, 2026 Spain players players pose for a team group photo with the World Cup trophy during the team's arrival at Madrid

July 20 (Reuters) - World Cup winners ⁠Spain climbed back to the top of the FIFA ⁠men's rankings on Monday, while runners-up Argentina dropped ‌to second place.

Luis de la Fuente's side beat 2022 world champions Argentina 1-0 after extra time on Sunday to return to the top of the ​rankings for the first time since January.

• ⁠France and England remain ⁠third and fourth in the rankings respectively, despite Thomas Tuchel's ⁠side beating ‌Les Bleus to clinch the bronze medal.

• Brazil rose to fifth, while Morocco climbed to a ⁠record-high sixth. Portugal fell two places to seventh ​after their round-of-16 ‌exit at the World Cup. Belgium moved up to ⁠eighth, swapping places ​with the Netherlands, who dropped to ninth.

• Mexico climbed four places to break into the top 10, while Norway were the ⁠biggest movers, jumping 12 places to 19th ​after reaching the World Cup quarter-finals.

• Germany fell out of the top 10 and dropped to 12th, one place ahead of ⁠Croatia. Italy, who failed to qualify for the World Cup, slipped to 15th.

• Tunisia suffered the biggest drop, falling 12 places to 57th, while Egypt climbed five spots to 24th ​and Paraguay rose seven places to 34th ⁠after reaching the World Cup round of 16.

• Cabo Verde, ​who reached the round of 32, climbed ‌three places to 64th, one ​spot ahead of Ghana, who moved up eight places.

(Reporting by Mohamed Yossry in Cairo, editing by Hugh Lawson)

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