France drops out of first in the FIFA rankings | OneFootball

Following a 2-1 defeat to the Ivory Coast on Thursday, France have dropped down the FIFA rankings. Didier Deschamps’ men sit third in the latest rankings. Reigning world champions Argentina are now the top-seeded team, with defending Euros champions Spain right behind them.

Thursday’s defeat ended a four-match winning run for France, who, before that, hadn’t lost since the Spaniards beat them 5-4 in the 2025 UEFA Nations League semi-finals. The previous French defeat before Thursday against a nation outside UEFA was against Tunisia, who beat them 1-0 in the final group fixture for both teams at the 2022 World Cup. France recovered from that loss, making it all the way to the final, where Argentina beat them on penalties.

Losing the top spot in the rankings may not be that bad for the French. Since the FIFA rankings began in 1993, no side has ever lifted the Jules Rimet trophy while holding the #1 seeding before the start of the finals. Brazil captured the 2002 tournament, having been named the top-ranked team on June 1, the day after the World Cup began. France had the top spot before that.

France will open the 2026 finals by facing Senegal on June 16, the same team that beat them 1-0 to open the 2002 World Cup.

GFFN | Joel Lefevre