B/R Men's International Team Power Rankings After September and October 2026 Fixtures
The September-October international break has finally drawn to a close after what seemed like an eternity.
The 2026 World Cup set a bar for excitement that was unfortunately impossible for teams to reach, with friendly matches, tournament qualifiers, and Nations League games having significantly reduced stakes for all involved.ย
However, there were still plenty of conclusions to be drawn from those meetings, with the retirements of star players and the arrival of new managers changing the landscape for national teams as they prepare for the next major tournament.ย
With that in mind, we've power-ranked the top 10 footballing nations following the early-fall slate of games, formulating the order by judging the latest results, player performances, and quality of opponents.
Think you can do better? Leave your rankings in the comments.
10. Mexico
1 of 10
FIFA Ranking: 10
Mexico was the most competitive of the host nations at the 2026 World Cup, which gives them a fair amount of credit in the bank. El Tri were extremely unlucky to lose to England in the Round of 16 after pushing the Three Lions to the limit.ย
The wheels have come off slightly, though, with two defeats and two draws in the September-October international break.
With that in mind, perhaps 10th seems generous. But with one of those draws coming against Colombia, and not many surrounding teams doing enough to push Mexico further down the rankings, they get a pass.
However, new manager Rafa Marquez needs to get a grip on things soon to avoid truly losing the momentum the national team gained from a memorable World Cup performance.
9. Colombia
2 of 10
FIFA Ranking: 11
Colombia perhaps should have done better at the 2026 World Cup, with Switzerland there for the taking in the round of 16. Exiting the competition on penalties is always painful, but they were not beaten over 90 minutes during the summer tournament, so a lot of heart can be taken from that.
It wasn't a great international break for Los Cafeteros, who could only draw with Mexico and then succumbed to a 1-0 defeat to a battling Paraguayan side. However, a 2-0 victory over Peru will instill some confidence, if not fully banish the hurt of missing out on the World Cup quarterfinals. The absence of star player Luis Diaz from the squad is also a factor in those disappointing results.ย
With Brazil out of sorts and Argentina adjusting to life without Lionel Messi, a solid run of performances over the coming months leading into the 2028 Copa America would make Colombia a heavy fav
8. Netherlands
3 of 10
FIFA Ranking: 9
While the Netherlands sit happily at the top of Nations League Group A2, that's only on the basis of goals scored.ย
The Oranje's eight points are level with Greece, and Germany sits only three points behind in third. Back-to-back wins against Serbia were to be expected from a team with so much star quality, and draws against the other group members were perhaps to be expected as well.ย
So, the Netherlands are solid but not spectacular as it stands, which is just fine as the players get used to life under new head coach Xavi. There is still the feeling, though, that the Oranje should be more competitive than they are.
7. Brazil
4 of 10
FIFA Ranking: 6
A round-of-16 World Cup exit was truly disappointing for Brazil, with Carlo Ancelotti unable to get the best out of the talent at his disposal.ย
However, it was still one stage better than the Netherlands, which justifies the Seleรงao Canarinho's place above the Oranje in the power rankings.ย
A 1-1 draw with Australia on September 25 suggested Don Carlo was still figuring things out, but things quickly improved. A rematch saw his side run away with a 4-2 victory, while a meeting with India brought another four goals, this time with none conceded. Still, the latter is ranked 138th by FIFA, so there's only so much you can read into that result.ย
The jury remains out on this Brazil side. With Copa America nearly two years away, there is plenty of time for Ancelotti to settle on his best XI and fully implement his playing style in the squad. It would be great to see some evidence of coherence sooner rather than later, though.ย
6. Morocco
5 of 10
FIFA Ranking: 7
Morocco has a problem in the power ranking stakes. While the Atlas Lions habitually prove competitive on the world stage, they struggle to climb higher in this list because their opponents are often not of the highest standard when they head off for international camps.
This time around, they took on Gabon (85th in FIFA's ranking), Lesotho (150th), and Mali (47th), with only the first two games coming in a truly competitive settingโAfrica Cup of Nations qualification matches. A 1-1 draw with Mali in a friendly also doesn't do much to bump them up the power ranking chart, either.ย
Still, when it comes to proper tournaments, you just know Morocco will be tough to beat. For now, though, the nation peaks at sixth.
5. Portugal
6 of 10
FIFA Ranking: 5
Portugal's international break got off to an awkward start. Cristiano Ronaldo was ineffective against Wales, leading new manager Jorge Jesus to drop the football legend to the bench for the match against Norway.
After not seeing the pitch at all in that game, the 41-year-old threw a tantrum and left the team's camp. Arguably, that was the best thing that could have happened for the Seleรงao.
Portugal ended up securing four wins from four, landing atop Nations League Group A4 with a six-point cushion. Whether this signals the end of Ronaldo's international career remains to be seen, but a suspension should be forthcoming, and Jesus has proved he is unafraid to leave an increasingly cumbersome figure out of the XI, despite his career achievements.
This could be a start of a new era for the Portugal national team, which has been long overdue.ย
4. Argentina
7 of 10
After a feisty World Cup, including a fiery aftermath to an unsuccessful final, Argentina hasn't done much to win over followers of international football.
The love is even harder to find now that Lionel Messi, the nation's hero and perhaps the greatest footballer ever, has officially retired from international duty after a 3-0 win against Benin, in which he scored from the penalty spot and made two assists.
Because of that seismic change for La Albiceleste, they tumble a few spots in the power ranking relative to the nation's placement in FIFA's official list. Three wins from three in the September-October break look impressive, coming with a combined scoreline of 14-0. But with those three opponents, Bolivia, Burkina Faso, and Benin, all ranked around 76th by FIFA, that looks far less convincing.
3. England
8 of 10
FIFA Ranking: 4
Looking at England's results and performances from this international break, the World Cup increasingly looks like a missed opportunity.ย
However, a 3-2 loss to Spain suggests they may still have been toppled in the final if they hadn't thrown it all away against Argentina.
Head coach Thomas Tuchel has apparently discovered how to get the best out of Jude Bellingham, and Harry Kane remains unplayable. Meanwhile, Anthony Gordon has emerged as a preferred option on the left flank, notching three goals in the three games he featured in.
England will be considered among the favorites heading into Euro 2028, but there's still plenty of time between now and the tournament for customary doubts to creep in.
2. France
9 of 10
FIFA Ranking: 3
France has an absolute embarrassment of riches to choose from. Being able to call upon Kylian Mbappรฉ, Ousmane Dembรฉlรฉ, Dรฉsirรฉ Douรฉ, Rayan Cherki, Michael Olise, and Bradley Barcola in attack is frankly outrageous.
It was three wins and a draw from four matches in the September-October international break, with the new boss taking little time to settle into the role. Les Bleus are sitting pretty at the top of Nations League Group A1, and it will be fascinating to see how they progress in the coming months.
For now, Zidane will be thrilled with what he's seen, although a more clinical edge needs to be applied to the aesthetically pleasing football. The players have been let off the leash a bit to create chances and bamboozle opposing defenses, but just one goal each against Turkiye, Belgium, and Italy in the first three matches was certainly disappointing.
However, a four-goal 15-minute blitz in the rematch with the Red Devils proved exactly what this team can do.
1. Spain
10 of 10
FIFA Ranking: 1
It would be weird if Spain, the newly crowned world champions, weren't at the top of this list.ย
Sitting at the summit of Nations League Group A3 with a 100 percent record only solidifies the case.
Spain won four out of four games during the September-October international break, including another statement victory over England. Luis de la Fuente's side also picked up back-to-back wins against Croatia and comfortably dispatched Czechia.
Superstar Lamine Yamal racked up four goals in four appearances, while Mikel Merino continues to be a not-so-secret weapon off the bench, netting three in just 109 minutes of action.
While a lack of clean sheets across the four games will be a mild concern for a team that conceded just once in their entire World Cup-winning campaign, it's really the only thing to criticize Spain forโand the stakes weren't exactly high.ย
Right now, La Furia Roja are the best international team on the planet. Even with the 2028 European Championships nearly two years away, they are already comfortable favorites.
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