Meanwhile, Croatia, runners-up in the 2018 World Cup and semifinalists in 2022, slipped to No. 11 after a draw against the Czech Republic last week. Italy, currently ranked ninth, faces a likely European playoff in March as runners-up in a group led by Norway, meaning Germany’s rise could ensure it avoids other top-seeded nations in the World Cup draw scheduled for December 5.
Spain remains at the summit of the FIFA rankings, followed by reigning champions Argentina. France, England, Portugal, the Netherlands, Brazil, and Belgium complete the top eight. The rankings will determine the 12 top-seeded nations for the 48-team tournament, including the three co-hosts—the United States, Canada, and Mexico—alongside the nine highest-ranked direct qualifiers.
The World Cup draw will proceed through four seeding pots: Pots 2 and 3 will follow FIFA rankings, while Pot 4 will contain the six lowest-ranked direct qualifiers plus six placeholders for the winners of playoffs in March. Four European teams are set to advance through playoffs, and two additional places will be decided through a global bracket of six non-European teams, which includes nations such as Bolivia and New Caledonia.
The October rankings also confirmed the fixtures for an African playoff bracket scheduled for next month, where Nigeria faces Gabon and Cameroon takes on Congo to determine which team advances to intercontinental play.