Spain’s World Cup triumph was not the only major change brought about by the 2026 tournament on the global football scene. As the competition came to an end, the FIFA rankings witnessed several notable shifts, with Egypt emerging as one of the biggest beneficiaries.

Spain Tops the Rankings as Egypt Climbs

Spain moved to the top of the FIFA World Rankings after winning the World Cup for the second time in its history. La Roja defeated Argentina 1-0 in a thrilling final that went into extra time, knocking the defending champions off the summit and confirming that the world title was enough to propel Spain to the top of the international football hierarchy.

Argentina dropped to second place, while France ranked third and England came fourth, reflecting the strength of the teams that reached the latter stages of the tournament.

Egypt, meanwhile, ended its World Cup campaign with a significant boost in the rankings, rising from 29th to 24th in the world. The five-place jump also saw the Pharaohs claim third place among African nations.

The rise came after Egypt reached the knockout stages of the 2026 World Cup before its journey ended in the Round of 16 with a 3-2 defeat to Argentina, in a match marked by intense drama and several controversial refereeing decisions.

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With this rise, Egypt ranked behind Morocco, which secured sixth place in the world, while Senegal came in 18th, highlighting the growing strength of African football on the new global rankings.

The 2026 World Cup in Numbers

The expanded 2026 World Cup featured 48 teams divided into 12 groups. The top two teams from each group advanced, along with the eight best third-placed teams.

The tournament featured 103 matches and concluded with Spain lifting the trophy after defeating Argentina. The competition also produced notable disciplinary statistics, including 314 yellow cards and 15 red cards.

Argentina received the most yellow cards, with 15 throughout its campaign, while South Africa and Qatar topped the list for red cards after each team saw two players sent off in a single match.

By the end of the tournament, Spain had not only lifted the World Cup trophy but also climbed to the top of the FIFA rankings. Egypt, meanwhile, made a significant leap into the world’s top 25, bringing the curtain down on the 2026 World Cup with important sporting and ranking gains.