Argentina lose top spot in FIFA rankings and end their best ever run | OneFootball

And one day, the Argentina National Team stopped looking down at everyone from the top of the FIFA ranking. After almost two and a half years, the world champion and two-time champion of America ended its historic and extensive streak as number 1 in the global classification, as reflected in the last table published this Thursday by the governing body of football.

The Scaloneta, which lost 1-0 against Ecuador in Guayaquil in the last date of the South American Qualifiers, was placed in the third position with 1870.32 points. Above it now is the new leader Spain with 1875.37, followed by France with 1870.92.

The Elo system, which weighs results according to the difficulty of the opponents and the importance of the matches, was decisive in the change. The defeat against a team like Sebastián Beccacece's, which occupies the 23rd step with 1570.68, significantly reduced the Argentine score, despite the 3-0 rout against Venezuela days before.

This method rewards victories against higher-ranking rivals and punishes defeats against lower-ranked teams. Therefore, the fall in Guayaquil cost Argentina dearly, which will have to wait for the next international window to try to regain ground.

For the Scaloneta, this new position marks the end of a hegemony that began after the Copa America 2021, the Finalissima 2022 and was consolidated with the World Cup in Qatar 2022 and the continental championship in the United States 2024. However, its place as a seed in the draw for the 2026 World Cup is assured as the current champion, just like the hosts United States, Mexico and Canada.

The record leaves a historic mark: 2 years, 5 months and 12 days at the top, from April 6, 2023 to September 17, 2025. An extra fact is that Spain, in addition to displacing Lionel Messi's team and company, became the first country to lead both the men's and women's ranking at the same time.

Looking to the future, the Argentine calendar includes friendlies in October against Venezuela in Miami and Puerto Rico in Chicago, plus a tour in November through Angola and India. In March 2026, it is stipulated to play a new Finalissima, precisely against La Roja, as long as the date is official. As a curiosity, the change in the ranking also dodges a "curse": since this system exists, never has the No. 1 prior to a World Cup managed to be crowned champion.

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