FIFA Ranking: France could rise to number one

France could become the world’s number-one team in the latest FIFA ranking after a draw against Israel and a victory over Italy during the most recent international break.

The 2018 World Cup winners could overtake Argentina in the FIFA world rankings to claim the number one spot after gathering four points from the available six during the international break.

However, they would have to wait until Wednesday before that could happen. If Argentina fails to defeat Peru on Wednesday during the 2026 World Cup qualifier, Les Bleus will end the year as the best-ranked team in the world. 

The last time that France occupied the position was in September 2018 after winning its second World Cup. 

After their success in the Copa America, Argentina spent the entirety of 2024 as the best-placed team, occupying the top spot since April 2023. 

There has been a growing rivalry between the two nations since the 2022 World Cup final win by South America. This has been fuelled by some unsavory scenes from the South American side, such as over the summer when some of the Argentine squad were caught singing a racist and transphobic chant about Les Bleus. 

Nations League action resumes for France in March 2025. They will then be involved in the Nations League quarterfinal action. France will know its opponent by Friday, while Italy has to play either Spain, Germany, or Portugal in the last eight.

Next season, the attention will be on the World Cup qualification, which begins in September 2025.

France won their Nations League group, so they could be paired against a less fancied opponent, but no one can rule out shock in the competition.

They will at least want to avoid the Netherlands, which finished runner-up in their group. Other likely opponents they will face are Serbia and Denmark.