The 2026 World Cup is officially in the books, and our USMNT got a slight bump in the FIFA world rankings, moving up one spot to 16th globally. They entered the tournament ranked 17th, but finishing 12th overall in the World Cup table, despite falling to Belgium in the Round of 16, earned them that climb. It’s not a massive jump, but it shows some forward momentum for the squad, including Sounders midfielder Cristian Roldan, who’s been part of the USMNT setup.
Where We Stack Up and Who’s Ahead
Globally, the top spot now belongs to Spain, who just snagged the title on Sunday against Argentina. Argentina dropped one spot to second, with France holding at third, and England fourth. Brazil jumped one spot to fifth, Morocco another spot to sixth, Portugal fell two spots to seventh, Belgium rose one to eighth, the Netherlands dropped to ninth, and Mexico made a big leap of four spots to round out the top ten. Here in Concacaf, Mexico is still leading the charge. They finished 9th in the World Cup table themselves, also exiting in the Round of 16, and remain the highest-ranked team in the region. Our USMNT is the second-highest Concacaf team, and that’s a spot we’re going to fight for. Elsewhere in the region, co-hosts Canada stayed at 30th, while Panama took a brutal 10-spot dive to 44th, losing the most points of any team. Costa Rica, who didn’t even make the World Cup, surprisingly rose two spots to 51st. Honduras finished out the top five Concacaf teams, falling one spot to 66th. Further down, World Cup debutants Curaçao held at 82nd, and Haiti, making their first World Cup appearance in 52 years, fell five spots to 88th. The biggest jump in the world rankings went to Norway, rocketing up 12 spots to 19th, while Tunisia suffered the biggest drop, falling 12 spots to 57th.
The Road Ahead for the Stars and Stripes
These rankings are locked in until after the newly created September-October window, which is set to be a busy one. Teams can play up to four matches during this time, and our USMNT is planning on hitting that maximum, with as many as four friendlies on the schedule. This period is crucial for the team to gel and refine their play while they anxiously wait for the results of the Concacaf Nations League group stage for League A. The stakes are already high, with the USMNT moving to second in the Concacaf rankings. That means they’re set to face the best runner-up from League A group play in the Nations League quarterfinals this November. It’s a chance to really prove they deserve that top Concacaf spot, and we know our Emerald City players are going to bring that fight!
So, while a one-spot climb might not sound like much, it’s a step in the right direction coming out of the World Cup. The real action, and the true test of this team’s mettle, starts in that September-October window, leading straight into the Concacaf Nations League quarterfinals in November. We’ve got our eyes on that Concacaf title, Seattle, and you know our USMNT is ready to make some noise!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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