Argentina lose top spot in FIFA rankings, historic unbeaten run ends | OneFootball

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

The Scaloneta, which lost 1-0 against Ecuador in Guayaquil on the last matchday of the South American Qualifiers, is now in third place with 1870.32 points. Above them 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 loss against a team like Sebastián Beccacece's, which occupies the 23rd spot with 1570.68, significantly reduced the Argentine score, despite the 3-0 win against Venezuela days earlier.

This method rewards victories against higher-ranked opponents and penalizes losses to lower-ranked teams. That's why the defeat in Guayaquil was costly for Argentina, 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 2021 Copa América, the 2022 Finalissima, and was solidified with the Qatar 2022 World Cup and the continental championship in the United States 2024. Nevertheless, their place as a seeded team in the 2026 World Cup draw is assured for being the reigning champion, along with the hosts United States, Mexico, and Canada.

The record sets a historic mark: 2 years, 5 months, and 12 days at the top, from April 6, 2023, to September 17, 2025. An additional fact is that Spain, besides displacing Lionel Messi's team and company, became the first country to lead both the men's and women's rankings simultaneously.

Looking ahead, 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 scheduled to play a new Finalissima, precisely against La Roja, provided the date is officially confirmed. As a curiosity, the change in the ranking also avoids a "curse": since this system exists, the previous No. 1 before a World Cup has never managed to be crowned champion.

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