Updated FIFA ranking: Italy only 12th, goodbye top seed for 2026 World Cup | OneFootball

The Azzurri slip to their worst placement in the last five years. The new ranking excludes them from the top seed in the World Cup group stage draw.

Updated FIFA Ranking: Italy only 12th, goodbye to top seed at the 2026 World Cup

FIFA has published the new ranking updated to November 19, and for Italy, the news is anything but positive: the national team drops to 12th place, losing three positions compared to the previous ranking. It’s the sharpest decline since 2020 and a fact that will have concrete consequences on the road to the 2026 World Cup.

The home defeat against Norway weighs heavily, and with this placement, the Azzurri will be placed in the second pot during the group stage draw on December 5. This situation increases the risk of being drawn into a particularly tough group.

The worst placement since 2020: a rollercoaster journey

The current 12th place represents the lowest level since 2020, when Italy even dropped to 13th. From that moment, a growth began that culminated with the triumph at EURO 2021 and reaching fourth place in the world, before the new collapse linked to failing to qualify for the 2022 World Cup.

The ranking tells the story of a national team in constant fluctuation: high-level potential but inconsistent results, with direct repercussions on their position in the FIFA pots.

The top positions: Spain leads, Brazil climbs

Nothing changes at the top: “Spain, Argentina, France, and England” hold on to the top four spots.

The most significant movement comes from Carlo Ancelotti’s Brazil, which climbs two places up to fifth.

Among the Europeans, the Netherlands, Belgium, and Germany remain attached to the top 10, while Morocco continues to confirm itself as the highest-ranked African national team.

FIFA Ranking – The Top 15 National Teams (update as of November 19)

Spain – 1877.18 points

Argentina – 1873.33 points

France – 1870.00 points

England – 1834.12 points

Brazil – 1760.46 points

Portugal – 1760.38 points

Netherlands – 1756.27 points

Belgium – 1730.71 points

Germany – 1724.15 points

Croatia – 1716.88 points

Morocco – 1713.12 points

Italy – 1702.06 points

Colombia – 1701.30 points

USA – 1681.88 points

Mexico – 1675.75 points

A high-tension second pot

Being outside the top seed complicates the Azzurri’s path ahead of the draw. Italy will most likely face a very high-level top seed. Moreover, the full picture will only be complete in March, when the last European qualifiers are known. This is why FIFA considers the Azzurri one of the main “wildcards” of the second pot.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇮🇹 here.