A few foreign news organisations published updated real-time world rankings after the September international match window closed.
The official FIFA update is scheduled for release on September 18. Spain, the European champions, emerged victorious. Japan remains the best team in Asia, despite being ranked 19th.
Malaysia On The Rise
The Malaysian national football team recently won two critical international friendlies, defeating Singapore and Palestine. As a result, Malaysia’s world ranking is likely to improve by five places, from 125th to 120th.
Historical records show that Malaysia’s highest ranking was 75th in 1993, when FIFA first started using its world ranking system. This was the best time for Malaysian football.
Malaysia now has a chance to surpass its best achievement in the last 20 years, which was 123rd, as of December 16, 2005. If the current prediction comes true, the national team will officially reach a new milestone.
Next Goal: Qualifying For The Asian Cup
In the future, Malaysia will focus on getting ready for the 2027 AFC Asian Cup. The national team will play Laos next month in two crucial games, one at home and one away.
Changes in the Top 10 Rankings
Finally, after two years and five months at the top, Argentina dropped out of the top 10. Argentina, which has won the World Cup three times, has been ranked number one since April 2023. They are now in third place.
Spain is now in first place, France is in second, and Brazil has moved into sixth place after Portugal surpassed them.
On December 5 of this year, the draw for the 2026 FIFA World Cup will take place. There will be 12 groups, each comprising four teams, for a total of 48 teams. The first pot will have the host countries (the US, Mexico, and Canada) and the nine best teams in the world.
The remaining pots will be distributed in order of ranking, with each group of four comprising teams from different levels. Germany has not been able to break into the top nine, meaning that even if they qualify for the World Cup finals, they will likely be in Pot 2.
Japan, Iran, and Korea Lead Asia
Japan remains at the top in Asia, followed by South Korea and Iran. The Japan Football Association had hoped to earn more points before the World Cup so they could secure a spot in Pot 1.
Japan played Mexico and the United States in recent international friendlies, but they only managed to get one draw and one loss. It will be very hard to break into the top pot right now.
China’s world ranking stays at 94th because it didn’t have any matches this month.
