The international football calendar has been marked by emotional moments this week. Lionel Messi bid farewell to the Argentina national team during a special week for the Albiceleste, while Cristiano Ronaldo sparked controversy with Portugal after leaving the national team camp following the first two matches of the international window.
The latest FIFA rankings, released on Wednesday, October 7, reflect the current standing of these nations after the international break. Spain remains atop the list with 2,011.57 points, followed by Argentina in second place on 1,972.80 points after winning all three of their recent friendlies, France in third with 1,958.86 points, and England in fourth with 1,925.59 points. This marks the first ranking update since the World Cup and follows the mid‑September to early‑October window.
The most notable shift in the top ten occurred for Portugal. Despite the turmoil surrounding Ronaldo, who exited the squad after the first two matches, the Portuguese side rose from seventh to fifth, accumulating 1,807.69 points. This leap places them ahead of Brazil (now sixth with 1,806.51 points) and Morocco (seventh with 1,805.34 points).
FIFA ranking: Full top 10
Belgium, the Netherlands, and Mexico hold steady in positions eight, nine, and ten respectively, with no changes among them. The next official FIFA ranking will be issued on November 18, after Portugal’s final Nations League group matches against Denmark on November 14 and Wales later that month.
The latest ranking leaves Argentina in a strong position as it begins a new chapter without Messi, still second in the world and behind only Spain. Portugal, for its part, climbs to fifth in the middle of the most turbulent week of Ronaldo’s international career, though the margin over Brazil and Morocco is slim enough that a few results in November could reshuffle that part of the table.