World Ranking's top performers of 2025
Reigning European champions Spain have ended a year top of the World Ranking for the first time since 2013.
Spain finished the year top of the FIFA/Coca-Cola Men's World Ranking
Kosovo moved up 19 places to be crowned as 2025's biggest climbers
Suriname, Norway, Paraguay and the Philippines all enjoyed significant rises
Spain will end the year top of the FIFA/Coca-Cola Men’s World Ranking for the first time since 2013 following the final update of 2025. It's the seventh time La Roja have finished the year as planet football's side to beat, a figure only bettered by Brazil who have managed it on 13 occasions.
While Luis de la Fuente's side head into 2026 top of the pile, they weren't the only side to impress during 2025. Read our full update below on the sides which impressed.
Ranking | Team | Total Points | Previous Points | +/- points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1 |  | 1877.18 | 1877.18 | - |
2 |  | 1873.33 | 1873.33 | - |
3 |  | 1870 | 1870 | - |
4 |  | 1834.12 | 1834.12 | - |
5 |  | 1760.46 | 1760.46 | - |
6 |  | 1760.38 | 1760.38 | - |
7 |  | 1756.27 | 1756.27 | - |
8 |  | 1730.71 | 1730.71 | - |
9 |  | 1724.15 | 1724.15 | - |
10 |  | 1716.88 | 1716.88 | - |
La Roja finished top of the World Ranking in each year from 2008 to 2013 - a period during which the European giants scooped the FIFA World Cup South Africa 2010™ in between a pair of UEFA EURO triumphs. They managed to reclaim their crown following a year in which they went undefeated in normal time across all ten matches they played, with the only blot on their copybook being a penalty shootout loss to Portugal in the UEFA Nations League final.
They won each of their first five FIFA World Cup 2026™ qualifiers without conceding, including a 6-0 away win over Türkiye and a 4-0 defeat of Bulgaria, before drawing their final preliminary with the Crescent Stars.
Ahead of World Cup qualifying, Kosovo had won just one of 18 preliminaries, scoring eight times and shipping 39 goals in the process. That all changed this year, however, as Franco Foda's charges recovered from an opening-day loss to Switzerland to go unbeaten in their final five matches, winning three, and booking their place in the European play-offs for the very first time.
Those results, coupled with four UEFA Nations League and friendly victories, saw the Dardanët claim a year-best 89.02 Ranking points, and rise from 99th place to a national-best 80th in the world.
While Kosovo's 19-places rise clinched them the biggest climbers title this year, a host of other nations ended the year far higher up than they started it. Suriname (123rd), who will face Bolivia for a chance to take on Iraq at the FIFA Play-Off Tournament next March, climbed a next-best 15 places. Norway (29th), Paraguay (39th) and the Philippines (136th) all rose 14 places, while Niger (110th), the Faroe Islands (125th) and Singapore (148th) each rose 12 by spots. Singapore have also reached their highest spot in the World Ranking since May 2014.
AFC: Philippines (+44.28 Ranking points)
CAF: Congo DR (+48.39)
Concacaf: Honduras (+53.61)
CONMEBOL: Paraguay (+43.24)
OFC: Papua New Guinea (+11.27)
UEFA: Kosovo (+89.02)