Germany get WC seeding boost in FIFA rankings

Germany head coach Julian Nagelsmann expressed confidence that Florian Wirtz will succeed at Liverpool after his summer transfer from Bayer Leverkusen.

In the latest FIFA men's world rankings released on Friday, Spain maintained the top position, while Germany climbed two spots to No. 10 following consecutive wins against Luxembourg and Northern Ireland in World Cup qualifying, recovering from an initial loss to Slovakia.

Croatia, a past World Cup finalist and semifinalist, dropped to No. 11 after drawing a match against Czechia, affecting their standing.

The top 12 seeds for the 48-team World Cup draw on December 5 will include the three co-hosts—the United States, Canada, and Mexico—along with the nine highest-ranked qualifiers from the November FIFA rankings. Italy, currently ranked No. 9, is expected to enter European playoffs as group runners-up, potentially securing the No. 10 team a top-seed position to avoid other high-ranked nations in the tournament draw from June 11 to July 19.

Spain leads the rankings, followed by Argentina, France, England, Portugal, the Netherlands, Brazil, and Belgium in eighth place. The World Cup draw will use FIFA rankings for pots 2 and 3, with pot 4 comprising the six lowest-ranked direct qualifiers and six playoff winners determined in March.

Playoffs will advance four European teams and two from a global bracket including Bolivia and New Caledonia. Additionally, African playoffs in October will feature Nigeria vs. Gabon and Cameroon vs. Congo to decide a team for intercontinental qualification.

This report incorporates information from The Associated Press.