Alexi Lalas has dropped his first post-World Cup power rankings, and you know he’s not pulling any punches. The guy loves his counter rankings, saying his list is all “gut feel,” a total contrast to FIFA’s money-and-tech formula. And hey, if you don’t like his, he’s always said: get your own! While FIFA rolled out their official ranks on October 7, Lalas is coming in hot with some seriously different takes, especially when it comes to who deserves respect on the global stage.
Lalas Throws Shade at FIFA’s Colombia Call
First up, Lalas isn’t mincing words about FIFA’s No. 10 ranking for Mexico, especially when he looks at Colombia’s spot. Colombia, ranked 11th by FIFA, had some serious hype going into the World Cup, even called a trendy dark horse pick. Luis Diaz, who’s been crushing it for Liverpool and now Bayern Munich, was supposed to balance out their tough defense. But, man, a round of 16 loss to Switzerland? Ouch, dream over. Since the World Cup, they’ve had a mixed bag in friendly competition: a win against Peru, a loss to Paraguay, and a draw with Mexico. That’s why Lalas is so fired up, flat out saying, “FIFA has Mexico at this spot, but I just think that’s ridiculous.” He’s clearly got a strong feeling Colombia deserves a much better look.
Morocco Proves They’re Not Going Anywhere
Now, let’s talk about Morocco, who FIFA has at No. 6. These guys made history in 2022, becoming the first African nation to ever reach a men’s World Cup semifinals. They’re basically a machine, with talent developed in leagues all across Europe. They might have lost to France in the 2026 quarterfinals (and in the 2022 semis, too), but their young core and success in youth tournaments mean they are absolutely sticking around. Since the World Cup, Morocco has been cruising, with two solid wins in African Cup of Nations qualifying back in September. The real drama for them is actually off the pitch, with a court ruling coming up to decide if they or Senegal will be named AFCON champions after a controversial final in 2025. Lalas’ take here is huge: “After making the 2022 World Cup semifinals, we were interested to see whether they could continue that momentum in 2026. Whether it was just a golden generation, or it was a moment in time and would be a Croatia-esque storyarc. I think Morocco and this generation of players have proved they are here to stay.” You gotta love seeing a team prove the doubters wrong like that.
The Oranje Start a New Era Under Xavi
Finally, we hit the Netherlands, sitting at FIFA rank No. 9. This team has historically been one of the best, with three runner-up finishes at the men’s tournament. They were a solid squad in the World Cup, with Cody Gakpo and Brian Brobbey shining in attack, and the ageless Virgil van Dijk anchoring the defense. But a tough round of 32 loss to Morocco ended their tournament run. The biggest news since the World Cup? Xavi Hernandez, a Barcelona legend, surprisingly stepping in as their new manager! And the Xavi era has kicked off strong, with two wins over Serbia and two draws against Germany and Greece in Nations League action. Lalas still sees them as a “good solid team,” even though they’ve never clinched that World Cup title. The Dutch have some big tests coming up, with games against Greece on November 13 and Germany on November 16. Those will be massive early markers for the new regime, let’s see how Xavi’s squad performs.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Fox Sports.
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