New FIFA rankings: Ukraine suffers its worst slide

Another drop for Blue-and-Yellows

In the previous ranking, published on July 10, Ukraine was 26th. At that time, the team had lost one position and dropped out of the top 25.

This time, the Blue-and-Yellows dropped two more places and now they are 28th. This is the worst result in the past two and a half years. Canada and Turkey are ahead of our team. Two matches counted towards this ranking update: against France (0:2) and Azerbaijan (1:1) at the start of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.

Ukraine's opponents in Group D of the World Cup qualifiers are ranked as follows: France is 2nd (up one place), Iceland is 74th (unchanged), and Azerbaijan is 124th (down two places).

It is also worth noting that among UEFA teams, Ukraine is 14th.

Changes in top 10: Argentina lost lead

Significant changes took place in the top ten. The leader has changed. Argentina, which previously topped the list, dropped to 3rd place. Ahead of them, there are two European teams, Spain and France.

Brazil also fell one place (from 5th to 6th). In contrast, Portugal, Croatia, and Italy improved their positions.

FIFA rankings as of September 18

1. Spain – 1875.37
2. France – 1870.92
3. Argentina – 1870.32
4. England – 1820.44
5. Portugal – 1779.55
6. Brazil – 1761.60
7. Netherlands – 1754.17
8. Belgium – 1739.54
9. Croatia – 1714.20
10. Italy – 1710.06

...28. Ukraine – 1543.06

Ukraine in FIFA rankings

The ranking system for national teams was introduced in 1993. The classification has undergone two major reforms (2006, 2018). After the latest changes, the Elo rating—used as a key ranking measure for the world's top chess players—was implemented.

The lowest position in Ukraine's history was 132nd place (September 1993). The highest was 11th place (February 2007).

Earlier, we reported how fans attacked Rebrov after the draw with Azerbaijan.

Also, read which national teams have already qualified for the 2026 World Cup