FIFA has released its final rankings of 2025, with the U.S. Men’s National Team rising to No. 14 after wins over Paraguay and Uruguay. Mexico dropped to No. 15 following a draw and a defeat, leaving the U.S. as CONCACAF’s highest-ranked side to close the year. Spain remain No. 1, while Brazil returned to the top five.
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USMNT, the new CONCACAF giant
Mauricio Pochettino’s USMNT closed out the year in impressive form. Back-to-back victories – a 2-1 win over Paraguay and a dominant 5-1 performance against Uruguay – lifted the Americans to 1,681.88 points and into 14th place in the FIFA World Ranking. The climb of two spots also pushed them ahead of their 2026 World Cup co-hosts: Mexico dropped to 15th after a draw and a loss, while Canada settled in at 27th.
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Contrasting fortunes with Mexico
For Pochettino, the November window capped a strong semester marked by a five-match unbeaten run, including four wins and just one draw. Mexico, meanwhile, endured the opposite trajectory. Javier Aguirre’s side ended a turbulent stretch with six straight matches without a victory – their last win came in the Gold Cup final against the United States – and the decline cost them the regional lead. The USMNT will finish 2025 as Concacaf’s highest-ranked team.
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Spain stay on top
At the top of the global ranking, Spain remain No. 1, with world champions Argentina and France right behind. Brazil climbed back into the top five, overtaking Portugal and the Netherlands, while Italy slid out of the top 10 after a costly 4-1 home loss to Norway.
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- AFP
How rankings translate into success…
National teams that have finished the year ranked No. 1 in the FIFA standings in the 21st century:
7× Spain (2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2025)
6× Brazil (2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2022)
5× Belgium (2015, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021)
4× Argentina (2007, 2016, 2023, 2024)
2× Germany (2014, 2017)
1× France (2001)
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