FIFA ranking - world ranking of all participants of the World Cup 2026
This page contains the FIFA ranking of all participating countries of the World Cup 2026. The FIFA ranking is the official ranking of football countries, published by the world football association. England is 4th in the world ranking.
The FIFA ranking plays an important role in the build-up to the 2026 World Cup. This world ranking determines how national teams compare to each other. For football fans, the ranking provides insight into form, performance, and chances of countries. In addition, the ranking has a direct impact on draws and expectations during the World Cup.
What is the FIFA ranking?
The FIFA ranking is the official world ranking for national football teams. The list is compiled by the world football governing body FIFA. Every month, the performances of countries are processed into an updated ranking.
The ranking is based on international match results over several years. Both friendly matches and official fixtures are included. This creates a continuous picture of sporting performance. For the 2026 World Cup, this ranking is more important than ever.
The FIFA ranking is used worldwide by media, federations, and supporters. It is a tool to objectively compare teams. At the same time, the ranking remains a topic of debate within international football.
World ranking of World Cup participants
| # | Country | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Spain |
1.877,00 |
| 2 |  Argentina |
1.873,00 |
| 3 |  France |
1.870,00 |
| 4 |  England |
1.834,00 |
| 5 |  Brazil |
1.760,00 |
| 6 |  Portugal |
1.760,00 |
| 7 |  Netherlands |
1.756,00 |
| 8 |  Morocco |
1.737,00 |
| 9 |  Belgium |
1.731,00 |
| 10 |  Germany |
1.724,00 |
| 11 |  Croatia |
1.717,00 |
| 12 |  Senegal |
1.707,00 |
| 13 |  Colombia |
1.701,00 |
| 14 |  United States |
1.682,00 |
| 15 |  Mexico |
1.676,00 |
| 16 |  Uruguay |
1.673,00 |
| 17 |  Switzerland |
1.655,00 |
| 18 |  Japan |
1.650,00 |
| 19 |  Iran |
1.617,00 |
| 20 |  South Korea |
1.599,00 |
| 21 |  Ecuador |
1.592,00 |
| 22 |  Austria |
1.586,00 |
| 23 |  Australia |
1.574,00 |
| 24 |  Algeria |
1.561,00 |
| 25 |  Canada |
1.559,00 |
| 26 |  Egypt |
1.557,00 |
| 27 |  Norway |
1.553,00 |
| 28 |  Panama |
1.539,00 |
| 29 |  Ivory Coast |
1.522,00 |
| 30 |  Scotland |
1.507,00 |
| 31 |  Paraguay |
1.502,00 |
| 32 |  Tunisia |
1.479,00 |
| 33 |  Uzbekistan |
1.462,00 |
| 34 |  Qatar |
1.455,00 |
| 35 |  South Africa |
1.433,00 |
| 36 |  Saudi Arabia |
1.429,00 |
| 37 |  Jordan |
1.389,00 |
| 38 |  Cape Verde |
1.370,00 |
| 39 |  Ghana |
1.351,00 |
| 40 |  Curaçao |
1.303,00 |
| 41 |  Haiti |
1.294,00 |
| 42 |  New Zealand |
1.279,00 |
| 43 |  UEFA Play-off D |
0,00 |
| 44 | UEFA Play-off A |
0,00 |
| 45 | UEFA Play-off C |
0,00 |
| 46 | UEFA Play-off B |
0,00 |
| 47 | FIFA Play-off 2 |
0,00 |
| 48 | FIFA Play-off 1 |
0,00 |
The full world ranking can be found on the FIFA website.
How does the FIFA ranking points system work?
The current points system for the FIFA World Ranking has been based since August 2018 on a system that closely resembles the well-known Elo rating model. In this system, points are added to or deducted from a team’s existing total after every official international match. This method allows the ranking to be continuously updated based on recent performances, without fixed expiry dates for results.
For each match, a team’s current points total (P_before) is used as the starting point. The number of points gained or lost is then determined based on the match result, the strength of the opponent, and the importance of the fixture.
The core formula used by FIFA is as follows: P = P_before + I × (W – W_e) [ref]
This means:
- P = the new points total after the match
- P_before = the points total before the match
- I = the weighting factor that indicates how important the match is
- W = the actual result (win, draw, or loss)
- W_e = the expected result based on the rating difference before the match
The expected result (W_e) is calculated from the difference in rating points between the teams. Teams ranked much higher have a greater probability of winning according to the formula. When the actual result differs from that expectation, it leads to a larger or smaller change in points.
Weighting factors by match type
The factor I plays a major role in determining the impact of a result on the ranking. FIFA assigns different weighting categories to international matches depending on the match type. This means some matches count far more than others:
- I = 5 for friendly matches outside the international calendar
- I = 10 for friendly matches within the international calendar
- I = 15 for UEFA Nations League group matches
- I = 25 for Nations League play-offs, qualifiers for continental final tournaments, and World Cup qualifiers
- I = 35 for final tournament matches before the quarter-finals of continental championships
- I = 40 for final tournament matches from the quarter-finals up to and including the third-place match
- I = 50 for World Cup matches before the quarter-finals
- I = 60 for World Cup matches from the quarter-finals up to and including the final
Because World Cup-level matches have much higher weighting factors, they count far more in the ranking than, for example, friendly matches. A World Cup win can therefore have more impact than several qualification matches combined.
Match result and expected outcome
The values of W and W_e also determine how many points are earned or lost:
- W = 1 for a win in regular time
- W = 0.5 for a draw, or a loss on penalties
- W = 0.75 for a win on penalties
- W = 0 for a loss in regular time
The expected result (W_e) is calculated from the rating difference between the two teams before they play. The larger the gap, the clearer the expectation that the stronger team will win. When the actual result differs from that expectation, this is converted into a higher points gain or a larger points loss.
What does this mean for the ranking towards the 2026 World Cup?
Thanks to this method, recent performances are processed directly and dynamically in the ranking, which is especially important in the run-up to major tournaments such as the 2026 World Cup. Teams that perform well in important matches such as qualifiers and the World Cup itself can rise quickly. Conversely, poor results in comparable matches can lead to a significant drop.
This current FIFA points system therefore provides a more balanced picture of national team strength, because it takes into account both opponent strength and match importance, factors that were less effectively captured in older versions of the ranking.
References
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The FIFA rankings of all participants in the 2026 World Cup. This is the official FIFA world ranking of football countries of the World Cup.
About the author
Author of this content is Patrick. I have been playing soccer for more than 25 years and follow the daily news closely. My hobbies include playing football, running and maintaining various websites, in addition to my job as a financial professional.
I do not work for any related company or institution, so the information is reliable and independent. The information has been collected accurately from reliable sources and is regularly updated.