Updated B/R Men's International Football Power Rankings for World Cup 2026
The 2026 FIFA World Cup hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico will be kicking off in just nine months.
Including the host nations, 48 teams will feature in the biggest football tournament on the planet, with only 18 so far confirmed to be present in the event.
A few of those sides stamped their tickets during September's international break, marking another milestone en route to the soccer showcase.
Ahead of FIFA's next world football ranking due on September 18, Bleacher Report has updated its own classification from March following the latest fixtures.
The strength of recent opponents, tournament success, and qualifying-stage performances were factors taken into account to determine the order of our International Power Rankings for September.
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20. Iran
FIFA ranking: 20
B/R March ranking: 19
September marked the worst international break for Iran in some time, with the team drawing 2-2 with Tajikistan and losing 1-0 to Uzbekistan—the latter in the CAFA Nations Cup final.
Still, the Iranians have suffered just three defeats since the turn of 2023, and they secured qualification for the World Cup back in March.
With Switzerland, South Korea, Senegal and Tunisia knocking on the B/R Power Rankings' door, Iran just about holds on in the top 20.
19. Japan
FIFA ranking: 17
B/R March ranking: 18
Japan sealed qualification to the World Cup in March, taking the pressure off of the national team significantly.
That's perhaps not helping, with the Samurai Blue drawing to Mexico and losing to the United States in September.
Before those results, though, things were looking pretty good for the AFC representatives, who had only lost once—to Australia—since February 2024.
However, things turned sour when Japan faced higher-ranked teams, which is a bad omen as the World Cup approaches.
18. United States
FIFA ranking: 15
B/R March ranking: 14
Just when you think all hope is lost, the United States men's national team has a habit of reeling you back in.
After the Stars and Stripes suffered a poor stretch of results from March to early June, which saw them lose four of four games—including defeats in the Nations League semifinal to Panama and the third-place playoff to Canada—they then went on a run to the Gold Cup final, where they lost 2-1 to Mexico.
In September, a 2-0 loss to South Korea had head coach Mauricio Pochettino on the hot seat, only for him to turn the temperature down with a 2-0 victory over Japan.
It's difficult to know where the USMNT is with the World Cup less than a year away. It would be foolish to sack the manager with the tournament in reach, but it's fair to say the Argentinian has not brought the transformation many were hoping for.
17. Norway
FIFA ranking: 33
B/R March ranking: New entry
Norway is on a bit of a tear in World Cup qualifying.
The Scandinavian nation top Group I with five wins from five, scoring 24 goals and conceding just three in the process.
It's a stunning run of form. While the 11-1 win against Moldova stands out immediately—with Erling Haaland grabbing five of those goals—the 3-0 victory over Italy is the most impressive result in the qualification stages.
There's a real chance Norway could confine the Azzurri to the qualification playoffs while stealing a World Cup berth for itself, which would be the nation's first appearance in the competition since 1998.
16. Ecuador
FIFA ranking: 25
B/R March ranking: 11
Ecuador falls a bit from its lofty position in the March rankings, which was earned after exceptional performances in CONMEBOL World Cup qualifying.
La Tricolor finished second in the federation's table after 18 games, ahead of notable teams such as Brazil, Colombia and Uruguay.
While that is impressive, Ecuador had a disappointing run of four straight 0-0 draws from March 26 to September 5, although it broke that streak with a 1-0 victory over Argentina to close out the latest international period.
Its 16th position in this ranking is still a fair jump from its FIFA ranking of 25th, though.
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15. Uruguay
FIFA ranking: 16
B/R March ranking: 15
Uruguay might be the most frustrating team in South America.
After finishing third in the 2024 Copa America, La Celeste went on to win just one of seven games to close out the year.
After a narrow loss to Argentina in March, they then drew 0-0 with Bolivia and followed that with a 2-0 loss to Paraguay in June.
Wins against Venezuela (2-0) and Peru (3-0) seemed to suggest things were back on track, but then they chalked up a lackluster 0-0 draw against 57th-ranked Chile.
But after sealing qualification with that win over Peru, perhaps Uruguay took its foot off the gas a little.
It's just difficult to get a read on this team. On paper, the squad is strong enough to cause problems for opponents, but it just can't seem to muster any kind of consistency.
14. Italy
FIFA ranking: 11
B/R March ranking: 9
Things aren't disastrous for Italy, but it might be getting worried about World Cup qualification with Norway's remarkable form.
As it stands, it looks like the Azzurri will have to go through the 16-team second-place playoff for qualification, with the Scandinavians setting a blistering pace through Group I.
Italy scored 10 in two World Cup qualifying games in September, but questions need to be asked after shipping four goals (including two own goals) against Israel.
Those defensive issues, and the uncertainty of making it to the finals, informs Italy's fall in our rankings.
13. Belgium
FIFA ranking: 8
B/R March ranking: 16
Belgium players found their scoring boots in September, even in the absence of Romelu Lukaku.
The Red Devils smashed in six against Liechtenstein and did the same against Kazakhstan, keeping a clean sheet in both matches.
Although they sit second in their qualifying group to North Macedonia, they have a game in hand over the Lynxes and should claim top spot when things get settled.
After winning only four of 14 games in 2024, Belgium has already won four out of six in 2025. Rudi Garcia deserves a huge amount of credit for turning things around quickly after the disastrous reign of Domenico Tedesco.
12. Croatia
FIFA ranking: 10
B/R March ranking: 13
Things were looking starting bleak for Croatia last year, but the team has come back to life in 2025.
After an unfortunate Nations League quarter-final exit to France following a penalty shootout, Croatia has won its last four games with a total score of 17-1.
Granted, the Vatreni didn't play a team ranked higher than 41st during that time, and they only squeaked past the 141st-ranked Faroe Islands 1-0, but that's still a decent record.
The veterans are still turning up for Croatia. Key players such as Luka Modric, Ivan Perisic, Andrej Kramaric and Mateo Kovacic clock up an average age of 35, but they are proving essential.
At the top of World Cup qualification Group L with a game in hand, the Vatreni should be looking ahead to the tournament with increasing confidence. They might not grab a third-place finish like they did in 2022, but they will still be competitive.
11. Colombia
FIFA ranking: 14
B/R March ranking: 8
Colombia takes a bit of a tumble in our rankings after a few disappointing results since March.
Draws against Peru and a 10-man Argentina in July weren't especially encouraging, and better form from other teams in the ranking hasn't helped Los Cafeteros' cause.
A further slide was saved after their positive September results, beating Bolivia 3-0 and Venezuela 6-3. But with those teams ranked 78th and 46th, respectively, comfortable victories should have been expected.
Most importantly, though, victory against Bolivia ensured their ticket for the 2026 World Cup.
The unpredictable nature of this Colombia side will make the nation a feared proposition next year, and don't rule out the South Americans making a run to the latter stages.
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10. Mexico
FIFA ranking: 13
B/R March ranking: 12
Mexico has a taste for trophies at the moment. It picked up its second consecutive Gold Cup title in July after winning the Nations League in March.
Ahead of a World Cup as co-hosts, a winning mentality isn't the worst thing to have.
While that's all well and good, El Tri will be a little concerned about results against teams outside of their federation. They lost 4-2 to Switzerland at home in June, and they only managed draws against Japan (0-0) and South Korea (2-2) in September.
They'll need to step things up a level next summer if they want to make a big statement.
9. Morocco
FIFA ranking: 12
B/R March ranking: 17
Morocco became the first African nation to qualify for the 2026 World Cup in September's international break, with a 5-0 win over Niger sealing the deal.
With two games to spare, head coach Walid Regragui will be allowed to tinker in the remaining qualification fixtures and rest key players.
While the quality of opponents isn't as strong for the Atlas Lions when compared to other continental qualification tournaments, they still have plenty of momentum.
Morocco hasn't been beaten since January 2024 (aside from in the African Nations Championship, a tournament that first-team international players are not typically involved in).
The Atlas Lions still have plenty of the stars who took them to the 2022 World Cup semifinal, and you can't rule out their chances of doing so again, with Achraf Hakimi, Bono, Brahim Diaz and Noussair Mazraoui making up a strong core of talent.
8. Germany
FIFA ranking: 9
B/R March ranking: 3
Something's not quite right with Germany.
A Nations League semifinal loss to Portugal is forgivable, as is a third-place play-off loss to France, but the 2-0 defeat to 52nd-ranked Slovakia in its first game of World Cup qualifying will have set off some alarm bells.
After the 3-1 win against Northern Ireland, Die Nationalelf are only third in Group A after two games and they have made qualification for the world football showcase a little more difficult.
There are still plenty of games to right the ship, but head coach Julian Nagelsmann will be worried how the Slovakia defeat will affect the team psychologically.
7. Netherlands
FIFA Ranking: 7
B/R March ranking: 10
An 8-0 thrashing of Malta is the Netherlands' most notable result of 2025. Putting eight past the 168th-ranked team in the world shouldn't be that much to shout about, but you can't argue with the message that kind of scoreline sends.
Elsewhere, the Oranje's results don't look too bad in context. They have just three wins in six in 2025, but they have a draw and a penalty-shootout defeat to Spain, as well as a draw with Poland, among those results.
They are top of Group G with a game in hand and should progress to the tournament proper without a lot of stress. After giving Spain a scare in the Nations League, the Netherlands should be fairly happy with the level it is showing.
6. Brazil
FIFA ranking: 5
B/R March ranking: 7
Brazil's September international camp is tough to read into, given the wildly contrasting starting XIs involved in its 3-0 victory over Chile and 1-0 loss to Bolivia.
New manager Carlo Ancelotti needs a little time to figure things out, and with an array of stars available and limited spaces to put them, some teething issues are expected.
That talent pool has become even more crowded thanks to Estevão's fast start to life at Chelsea, which adds another exciting element to the squad.
The Seleçao sealed their spot in the 2026 World Cup in June, so it's understandable if motivation was lacking, especially ahead of a tournament in which they will likely be considered among the favorites no matter what.
It's still not clear what the preferred starting XI will be and how they will set up tactically, but there's plenty of time to get things right ahead of the action in the neighboring continent.
5. England
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FIFA ranking: 4
B/R March ranking: 4
It was difficult to muster enthusiasm for England under Thomas Tuchel's guidance, despite the Three Lions having lost just one of five in 2025 ahead of the meeting with Serbia.
In two matches against Andorra, one against Latvia, and one against Albania—teams with an average world ranking of 138.6—the Three Lions scored just eight goals. Conceding none should be more or less expected, but the woeful scoring return was cause for concern.
But then England thrashed 32nd-ranked Serbia 5-0 with a performance that demonstrated plenty of positive signs in terms of squad formation and tactical framework.
After functional but boring performances under Tuchel, that win against Serbia is perhaps a sign of things to come.
4. France
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FIFA Ranking: 3
B/R March Ranking: 5
Four wins from six in 2025 for France might not be as dominant as a squad of this caliber would hope for, but there is some nuance around the two losses that makes them less troubling.
A 2-0 away defeat to Croatia in the Nations League quarter-finals first leg was quickly remedied with a 2-0 reverse at home in the second leg and an eventual win on penalties.
Then, Les Bleus lost an instant international classic against Spain 5-4, coming back from 4-0 down after 55 minutes.
While the latter will be slightly concerning, given the hole they dug for themselves, it does show the group's fighting spirit, which will be crucial ahead of the World Cup.
Meanwhile, having likely Ballon d'Or winner Ousmane Dembélé in the setup, alongside superstar Kylian Mbappé and one of Europe's most in-form players in Michael Olise, counts for a lot.
3. Portugal
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FIFA Ranking: 6
B/R March Ranking: 6
The reigning UEFA Nations League champions climb here partly because of that silverware. It might not be the most prestigious of titles, but it still counts for our ranking purposes.
Portugal has been handed a kind World Cup qualification draw, and it started the campaign with back-to-back wins over Armenia and Hungary away from home.
The death of Diogo Jota will no doubt cast a shadow over the Seleçao's preparations for the global showpiece, but it also gives them something more to fight for.
"We want to carry forward his values, which helped us win the Nations League, because he was a true leader in the dressing room," Portugal head coach Roberto Martinez told FIFA.com ahead of the national team's first camp since the 28-year-old died in July. "His strength, battling spirit and determination must always remain with us."
Cristiano Ronaldo is still defying Father Time with crucial goals for his country, including in the Nations League final—he is also now the joint-top scoring player in World Cup qualifying history (39).
With qualification for the 2026 World Cup already looking like a formality, the 40-year-old will be desperate to maintain that scoring form and play a big role in trying to pick up one of the few major titles he's not claimed. After all, it will surely be his final appearance on the world stage.
2. Argentina
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FIFA Ranking: 1
B/R March Ranking: 2
Argentina just missed out on top spot in our March rankings, and it does so again this time around.
La Albiceleste have won four of their six games in 2025, with a draw against Colombia in June and a defeat to Ecuador in September. However, with World Cup qualification sealed, the latter is of little concern.
Admittedly, if they did manage to defeat La Tricolor, they could have claimed top spot. Spain's Nations League final defeat to Portugal gave the Argentinians an opening, but they weren't able to take it.
It's perhaps too early to suggest Argentina will claim back-to-back World Cups, but it is in a positive position ahead of the 2026 tournament.
1. Spain
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FIFA Ranking: 2
B/R March Ranking: 1
Spain maintains its spot at the top of the B/R Power Rankings despite a mildly shocking defeat in the all-Iberian Nations League final.
While the game finished 2-2 after 120 minutes, a perfect set of penalties from the Seleçao meant La Furia Roja couldn't add to their trophy cabinet.
But it doesn't mean a drop in ranking terms.
There's no real cause for concern, with Spain having won four of its last six—if you include the penalty-shootout victory over the Netherlands in March—and not tasted defeat after 90 minutes since March 2024.
It was also flawless in both of its September internationals—beating Bulgaria 3-0 and Turkey 6-0—and it tops World Cup qualification Group E.
It should be a fairly serene path to the global showcase, allowing manager Luis de la Fuente the opportunity to test players and systems ahead of a tournament in which Spain will be hot favorites.
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