Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappé find themselves in very different circumstances with their national teams — one already qualified for the 2026 World Cup, the other still chasing a ticket. Yet both nations made headlines during the October international window, as Argentina has officially overtaken France in the latest FIFA Rankings.
For Argentina, qualification for the World Cup was secured back in March. With CONMEBOL qualifiers now wrapped up, La Albiceleste used October to continue its preparations with a pair of friendlies. The reigning world champions defeated Venezuela 1-0 without Messi before welcoming him back for a dominant 6-0 victory over Puerto Rico to close their U.S. tour on a high note.
France, meanwhile, faced Matchdays 3 and 4 of UEFA qualifying, looking to take a major step toward qualification. Les Bleus began with a 3-0 win over Azerbaijan — a match that saw Mbappé pick up an injury that ruled him out of the following fixture against Iceland. Without their captain, France were held to a 2-2 draw in Reykjavik.
Despite leading Group D with 10 points, the draw proved to be a setback — not only in France’s qualification push but also in the FIFA Rankings. With two victories in Miami, Argentina climbed to second place, pushing France down to third, while Spain remains the undisputed leader at the top of the table.
The updated ranking carries added importance ahead of the 2026 World Cup draw, as FIFA uses the standings to determine the seeding pots. Based on current projections, Pot 1 is expected to include Mexico, the United States, and Canada (the three co-hosts), followed by Spain, Argentina, France, England, Portugal, Brazil, the Netherlands, Belgium, and Germany.
When will the next FIFA Ranking be released?
In the previous update, Argentina lost its No. 1 spot after more than two years atop the ranking, a run that spanned from the 2022 World Cup triumph through the 2024 Copa América. With Spain and France moving ahead, Messi’s team is now poised to reclaim at least one of those positions.
FIFA will publish the next world ranking on October 22, where Argentina, currently on 1,870.32 points, is projected to edge past France, who sit on 1,870.92 points. The draw against Iceland was enough to cost Les Bleus crucial ground.
Argentina and France won’t be the only teams swapping places in the Top 10. The Netherlands (currently seventh) are expected to move ahead of Brazil (sixth), while Croatia (ninth) could drop out of the Top 10 altogether — overtaken by Italy (10th) and Germany (12th).