Doha: Qatar have dropped two more places to 46th in the latest FIFA rankings, as their struggles in the World Cup 2026 Qualifiers continue. The Asian champions had already fallen 10 spots in the previous rankings after a loss to the United Arab Emirates and a draw against North Korea in their opening two games of the Road to 26 Asian Qualifiers. A recent 4-1 defeat to Iran pushed them further down, while a 3-1 win over lower-ranked Kyrgyzstan had little effect on their standing in the rankings announced on Thursday.
Qatar remain the fifth-best Asian team, with Japan (15th) leading, followed by Iran (19th). South Korea are ranked 22nd, two places above Australia (24th). Meanwhile, world champions Argentina retained their top spot, but the gap between them and the chasing pack has narrowed.
France remain second, with Spain in third. England (4th), Brazil (5th), and Belgium (6th) have all held their positions. Portugal (7th, up 1) and Italy (9th, up 1) were the only teams to climb within the top ten, while the Netherlands (8th, down 1) and Colombia (10th, down 1) complete the group.
Germany (11th, up 2) are closing in on a return to the top ten. Comoros, Sudan, and Botswana made the biggest moves in the latest rankings. During the recent international window, 32 qualifiers for the FIFA World Cup 2026, 47 matches for the CAF Africa Cup of Nations 2025, 79 Nations League fixtures, and 17 friendlies were played, making October 2024 a particularly busy month for global football.
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