After two and a half years, Argentina set to lose top spot in FIFA rankings | OneFootball

The 1-0 defeat against Ecuador in the closing of the Qualifiers decreed that the Albiceleste will fall to the third place in the ranking, behind Spain and France, when the September cut-off is made. However, it could recover in October.

The consummated defeat of the Argentina National Team by 1-0 against Ecuador in the closing of the Qualifiers not only decreed the ninth defeat of Lionel Scaloni's cycle at the head of the national team, but it also meant for the Albiceleste that it will lose the first place in the FIFA world ranking to Spain.

The Albiceleste held that ranking position since April 2023, despite Spain and France trying to snatch the place. However, Scaloni's team held it practically until reaching the World Cup. The defeat against Ecuador will mean losing the first place to Spain and even falling to third place, behind Les Bleus. This, however, will not be confirmed until September 17, when the "cut-off" of the ranking becomes effective and the points obtained on this date are added.

The good news for Argentina is that if it reaches the World Cup in any position other than first, it will avoid the "curse of the first place". Historically, every team that arrived as the leader of the FIFA ranking could not then be crowned in the World Cup. This was the case with Brazil, for example, when it arrived in Qatar 2022 with Tite as the best team in the world, but was eliminated on penalties in the quarterfinals, against Croatia.

However, there is still a chance for the Albiceleste to recover that first place and it is the October friendly window. This is because, although European teams will be able to earn more points because Qualifier matches are more valuable, if they do not achieve victories, .

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