Colombia Climbs in FIFA Rankings After Securing World Cup 2026 Spot

The Colombian national team has officially secured its spot in the much-anticipated 2026 FIFA World Cup, following an exciting double-header of matches in September. They kicked things off with a decisive 3-0 victory over Bolivia in Barranquilla, and then capped off the month with a historic 6-3 triumph against Venezuela on the road. This success has propelled Colombia to a commendable third place in the World Cup qualifiers, finishing with 28 points from seven wins, seven draws, and four losses.

Under the guidance of coach Néstor Lorenzo, this victory ended a six-match winless streak for the Tricolor. With their World Cup preparations already underway, the team is now focused on what promises to be an exhilarating tournament set to take place in the United States, Mexico, and Canada, from June 11 to July 19, 2026.

In the latest FIFA rankings update, Colombia jumped from the 14th position to claim the 13th spot with 1,692 points, overtaking Mexico, who fell after drawing both of their matches in September. This places Colombia as the third-best team in South America, right behind Argentina, which now ranks third, and Brazil, which slipped to sixth place.

Uruguay is not far behind Colombia, sitting in 15th place after a slight rise, while Ecuador has made its way to 24th, also moving up one position. Meanwhile, Spain has emerged as the new leader of the FIFA rankings, advancing to first place with 1,875 points, followed closely by France at 1,870. Argentina, which had held the top spot since April 2023, has now dropped to fourth.

England remains solid at fourth, while Portugal has climbed to fifth, taking the position previously held by Brazil. The Netherlands and Belgium have maintained their positions at seventh and eighth, respectively. Croatia and Italy have both surged in the rankings, moving to ninth and tenth place.

Notably, Germany experienced a significant drop, slipping from tenth to thirteenth after losing to Slovakia and narrowly winning against Northern Ireland. Slovakia’s historic win marks the biggest jump in this update, moving up ten places and earning 25.31 points.

With the World Cup in 2026 expanding to 48 teams and 12 groups, the top nine teams in the FIFA rankings as of November will be seeded. Currently, potential seeded teams include Spain, France, Argentina, England, Portugal, Brazil, the Netherlands, Belgium, and Croatia. Colombia faces a tough challenge to break into the top nine before the draw on December 5 in Washington, as those ahead of them continue to play official matches. However, the Tricolor has four friendly matches lined up, which will be critical in boosting their ranking ahead of the draw.