Spain Predicted to Overtake Argentina in FIFA World Rankings
Argentina’s reign at the top of the FIFA world rankings is facing a potential shake-up. Despite celebrating a recent dominant victory against rivals Brazil, a supercomputer analysis suggests a new leader is on the horizon.
The Argentinian national team, spearheaded by football icon Lionel Messi, proudly held the coveted No.1 spot in FIFA’s official rankings for two consecutive years, concluding in 2024. This prestigious position was largely earned through their historic World Cup victory in 2022 and their Copa America triumph the following summer.
Lionel Messi’s inspirational leadership was instrumental in guiding Argentina to their third World Cup title in Qatar, a personal milestone marking his first World Cup win as a player. More recently, Argentina showcased their strength by defeating both Uruguay and Brazil in crucial World Cup qualifying matches.
- Argentina defeated Uruguay 1-0.
- Argentina convincingly beat Brazil 4-1 in Buenos Aires.
Interestingly, Messi was absent from both of these qualifying games. However, reports suggest he subtly aimed a dig at Raphinha, a Brazilian player, following Argentina’s resounding victory over Brazil.
New Football Ranking Leader Predicted: Spain Edges Ahead of Argentina
Despite Argentina’s continued success and impressive performances on the international football stage, the ELO ranking system, using its unique calculation methodology, forecasts a change at the top. Their predictions indicate that Spain is poised to become the new No.1 ranked national team in the world. ELO’s data analysis places Spain a significant 10 points ahead of Argentina.
It is important to note that ELO rankings are predictive and independent of the official FIFA rankings. While there’s no guarantee Spain will definitively surpass Argentina in the upcoming official FIFA standings, ELO’s calculations present a strong possibility of Spain overtaking the South American champions.
According to ELO’s findings, Spain currently holds 2150 points, slightly edging out Argentina’s 2140 points. Spain’s predicted rise to the top is underpinned by their recent successes, including their victory in the European Championship last summer, where they defeated England 2-1 in a thrilling final. Furthermore, Spain reached the semi-finals of the Nations League, overcoming the Netherlands in a dramatic 5-4 penalty shootout.
Spain’s last stint at the top spot was back in 2014, just before the World Cup in Brazil. Germany ultimately won that World Cup, defeating Argentina 1-0 in extra time in the final.
Spain celebrate winning Euro 2024. Image: Getty
While the top two spots might be shifting, here’s a glimpse at how other football powerhouses rank according to ELO’s predictions:
- Spain (Predicted No.1)
- Argentina (Current No.1, Predicted No.2)
- France
- England
- Brazil
Further down the top ten, we find:
- Germany
- Portugal
- Netherlands
- Colombia
- Uruguay
And several other notable football nations feature within the top 25, including Italy, Japan, Belgium, and Mexico.
Football fans eagerly await the release of the official FIFA rankings next month in April to see if ELO’s prediction of Spain’s ascendancy to the top spot will materialize.
What do you think about these predicted FIFA rankings? Will Spain truly overtake Argentina? Share your predictions and opinions in the comments below!