Football World Cup: Argentina’s Messi Loses the Top Position After 2 Years
Football World Cup: Deprived of Lionel Messi, Argentina lost to Ecuador in the World Cup qualifiers and fell below Spain in a key FIFA ranking. Argentina’s 1–0 loss to Ecuador, without Lionel Messi in the lineup, marked the end of the South American World Cup qualifiers and also the final authorized match of 2025 for Lionel Scaloni’s squad.
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The result will cost Argentina an important FIFA record, contrary to Spain. Following the deduction of the September worldwide break, Spain will overtake Argentina at the upper of the FIFA world positions. The position system allocates opinions to every national squad based on the consequences of new matches, with weight given to the type of rivalry in which those results happened.
Argentina's reign at the summit of the FIFA world rankings has come to an end after more than two years. Their dominance began in April 2023, driven by a historic string of successes, including their 2022 World Cup triumph in Qatar, the 2021 Copa América victory, and a win in the 2022 Finalissima against Italy.
World Cup: Major Titles Carried Through into The 2026 World Cup Qualifying Campaign
The momentum from those major titles carried through into the 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign, where Lionel Scaloni’s team delivered strong performances. They capped off the recent cycle with a Copa América 2024 win, reinforcing their reputation as the top team in global football. Yet, despite this consistency, Argentina could no longer hold off the rising tide from Europe.
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A recent 1-0 defeat to Ecuador, in a match where Lionel Messi did not feature, marked the symbolic end of Argentina’s reign. While the result did not threaten their qualification for the 2026 World Cup, already secured with room to spare, it did impact their standing in the FIFA rankings.
That loss, paired with Argentina’s upcoming schedule featuring only friendlies, opened the door for rivals to surpass them in the standings. With no official competitive matches left in 2025, Argentina’s position became increasingly vulnerable.
Friendlies scheduled for the October and November international windows, against opponents like Venezuela, Puerto Rico, Angola, and India, will not provide sufficient ranking points to maintain a lead.
FIFA World Cup: It Will Be Difficult for Argentina to Maintain Its Place
Under FIFA’s points system, victories in competitive fixtures such as World Cup qualifiers and Nations League matches are far more valuable than those in friendlies. Wins in official competitions can yield up to 25 points, while friendly wins typically count for only 10, making it difficult for Argentina to retain its place with no more qualifiers remaining.
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Meanwhile, Spain has surged ahead thanks to an impressive turnaround since their early exit at the 2022 World Cup. Since Luis de la Fuente took charge, Spain has restructured its core around rising stars like Lamine Yamal and Pedri, who have injected energy and creativity into the squad.
This new generation helped secure the Euro 2024 title, the nation’s third continental championship, all of which have come since 2008. In addition to their European title, Spain reached the final of the UEFA Nations League earlier this year, narrowly losing on penalties to Portugal. That consistency and success in meaningful matches have provided Spain with a steady accumulation of points.
FIFA World Cup Final: Argentina Has Moved to Third Place in The FIFA Rankings
Most recently, Spain opened their 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign with dominant victories over Bulgaria (3-0) and Turkey (6-0), performances that not only boosted morale but also significantly increased their ranking total. These results were enough to push Spain ahead of Argentina in the latest update, bringing an end to Argentina's two-year, five-month hold on the No. 1 position.
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France has also been a factor in this shift. With recent wins over Ukraine (2-0) and Iceland (2-1) in UEFA qualifying, they remain in close pursuit. Like Spain, France will benefit from more opportunities to earn valuable points through competitive fixtures this year, whereas Argentina will be limited to lower-impact friendlies. As a result, Argentina has now dropped to third place in the FIFA rankings.
This drop places Argentina fifth in the all-time list for longest runs at No. 1. Their streak fell just short of Spain’s record tenure from September 2011 to June 2014. Other long-standing No. 1 holders include Belgium.
Football World Cup 2026: All Eyes Are Now On the Rematch Between Argentina and Spain
This led from October 2018 to February 2022, and Brazil, which held the top spot twice for extended periods: from July 1994 to April 2001 (six years and eight months) and again from June 2002 to January 2007 (four years and seven months).
Despite their fall in the rankings, Argentina remains a formidable force in international football. Their qualification for the 2026 World Cup is secure, and the team continues to feature elite-level talent and depth. However, without more competitive fixtures, their ranking will be difficult to maintain, especially with UEFA nations engaged in meaningful qualifiers and tournaments.
Looking ahead, all eyes are now on a potential Finalissima rematch between Argentina and Spain, tentatively set for March next year. That high-profile clash, if confirmed, could be a pivotal moment in the ongoing battle for FIFA supremacy. Until then, Spain enjoys the top spot, a reflection of both their recent dominance and Argentina’s reduced opportunities to defend their place.
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