Spain, France Lead Fifa Standings After Brazil and Qatar Shift
The fifa standings changed after day three of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, with Brazil’s draw against Morocco and Qatar’s first ever World Cup point feeding into The Athletic’s re-ranking of all 48 teams. Spain and France stayed in the top tier, while Scotland and Australia moved up and Switzerland and Turkey slipped.
Spain, France and Argentina
Spain were still viewed as the team most people would consider the favorite to lift the World Cup, with France alongside them at the front of the field. Lamine Yamal’s fitness was Spain’s only issue, while France’s attacking pool included Kylian Mbappe, Desire Doue, Ousmane Dembele, Michael Olise and Rayan Cherki.
At least one of those France attackers would not be in the first-choice team, but the depth kept them near the top of the ranking. France also carried the memory of a warm-up defeat by the Ivory Coast, while Argentina stayed in the conversation as the reigning champions from Qatar in 2022.
Lionel Scaloni and Argentina
Lionel Scaloni remained Argentina’s manager as the team kept its place among the leading contenders after winning back-to-back Copa America titles in 2021 and 2024. Lionel Messi stayed with the squad and will turn 39 during the tournament, a detail that hangs over every ranking of Argentina this early.
England and Germany were treated as the other large-name challengers in the same ranking, but for different reasons. England were missing Phil Foden and Cole Palmer from the squad, even as Harry Kane finished the season with successive hat-tricks and Ollie Watkins scored six goals in five club games.
Scotland and Germany
Scotland and Australia were among the clearest movers after day three, both on the rise after opening-match wins. Switzerland and Turkey went the other way, leaving the bottom half of the ranking with a different look from the one it had before the tournament got into rhythm.
Germany’s return of Manuel Neuer gave them a lift, and their relatively friendly group draw kept them in the upper half of the standings conversation. That leaves the first week of the tournament with a split picture: the leading names still lead, but a draw for Brazil, a point for Qatar, and early wins for Scotland and Australia already changed how the 48-team field is being sorted.
