According to L’Équipe. France’s loss to Côte d’Ivoire allowed Argentina to reclaim the top spot in the FIFA rankings, despite the Argentine team not having played a match since April 1. Spain, which drew with Iraq (1-1), moved up to second place, edging ahead of France, which dropped two positions. The rankings will likely continue to shift in the coming days as teams prepare for the 2026 World Cup, which runs from June 11 to July 19.

Historical context of the FIFA rankings and World Cup success

Interestingly, the top-ranked team before a World Cup has never gone on to win the tournament since the rankings were introduced in 1993, though the closest was Brazil in 2002, which briefly regained the top spot on June 1 — the day after the tournament began. At that time, France was the reigning champion and held the top position.

Potential 2026 World Cup matchups for France

According to RMC Sport, France is currently first in Group I and is set to face Norway on Friday in Boston, though If it maintains this position, the team will face one of the eight best third-placed teams in the round of 16. The 2026 World Cup format, expanded to 48 teams, includes an additional round of 16 that features the top two teams from each of the 12 groups and the eight best third-placed teams.

One of the most likely matchups for France is a potential quarterfinal against Sweden. According to the Football Meets Data website, a France-Sweden match in the 16th finals has a 48.6% probability. This is based on the current performance of teams in Group F, where Sweden is currently third.

2026 World Cup begins, with notable players and teams in action

According to OneFootball, the 2026 World Cup kicked off with the host nation Mexico defeating South Africa 2-0 in its opening match. In the second match of the tournament, South Korea came from behind to beat the Czech Republic 2-1, with Hwang In-Beom scoring and assisting a goal.

Canada will also make its mark in the tournament, opening its World Cup campaign against Bosnia-Herzegovina on Friday in Toronto. Jonathan David, a former Lille player and third on the club’s all-time scoring list, will be in action for the Canadian team. This marks Canada’s second consecutive World Cup appearance, the first time in the country’s history, and the third overall.

Canada’s coach, Jesse Marsch, brings experience from his time managing RB Salzbourg, RB Leipzig, and Leeds United. His approach could shape how the team performs in the early stages of the competition.