France, Argentina, Spain, and England. The top four FIFA nations according to the live rankings are also the four semifinalists of World Cup 2026. This is the first time it happens in history, in the 23 editions of the World Cup, something that tends to happen more in other competitions, like tennis, with ranked players and seeded nations playing a bigger role.
The order has changed: before the competition, Argentina was the top ranked nation, ahead of Spain, France, and England. Now, after each country has played six matches, this is the order: Argentina has been passed by France, as points given for the ranking are different based on the team they are facing, which reflects that Argentina has had a, theoretically, easier path in World Cup than France...
France: 1948.97 point
Argentina: 1943.47 points
Spain: 1934.79 points
England: 1889.42 points
Now we officially enter the final week of World Cup, with just four matches remaining:
Tuesday, 14 July: France vs Spain — 21:00 CEST / 20:00 BST
Wednesday, 15 July: England vs Argentina — 21:00 CEST / 20:00 BST
The third-place play-off will be on Saturday (July 18, 22:00 CEST, 21:00 BST), and the final on Sunday (21:00 CEST, 20:00 BST).