Argentina, based in KC, regains No. 1 FIFA ranking as World Cup group stage opens
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- Argentina regained the No. 1 FIFA ranking Thursday, hours before the World Cup opener.
- Argentina’s base camp is in Kansas City and its first match there is June 16.
- France dropped to No. 3 while Spain remained No. 2 in the latest FIFA rankings.
Add another champion to the list of top teams that call Kansas City home, albeit on a temporary basis.
Argentina is the new No. 1-ranked soccer team on the planet, according to the latest FIFA world rankings. The new order was released Thursday, mere hours before the opening game of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Kansas City is the site of Argentina’s base camp and first game, on June 16 against Algeria, whose national team is based in nearby Lawrence, Kansas this summer. The game will be played at “Kansas City Stadium” — known during non-World Cup times as GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium, home of the Kansas City Chiefs, who have won three Super Bowls since 2019.
Lionel Messi-led Argentina hadn’t been ranked first since July 2025. The Argentinian team supplants France, which dropped to No. 3. Spain remained No. 2.
The rest of the world top 10: England, Portugal, Brazil, Morocco, Netherlands, Belgium and Germany.
England and Netherlands also are based in Kansas City. Algeria is ranked No. 28.
The U.S. ranked 17th, dropping a spot from last month’s ranking.