Portugal climbs into the top five while the Oranje remains at ninth place

In the silence of the FIFA‑office hall, two minutes after the last internationals of the XXL‑period, the new world ranking was announced. The list still places the Oranje in ninth place, while Portugal emerges as the big winner.

The Dutch national team, under the new head coach Xavi Hernández, achieved two wins and two draws, but retained its ninth position. The results did not yield enough points to finish higher.

Portugal rose two places and entered the top five, at the expense of Brazil and Morocco, each losing a place. The country benefited from a stable performance and remained unaffected by the Cristiano Ronaldo situation.

The top four remained unchanged: Spain still leads, followed by Argentina, France and England. Germany, a group teammate of the Oranje in the Nations League, fell under head coach Jürgen Klopp to thirteenth place.

Switzerland also climbed after four wins in Division B of the Nations League, while Croatia suffered a heavy 0‑7 defeat to England and therefore dropped.

How the FIFA ranking works

The FIFA ranking system is based on achieved results and the strength of the opponent. A win against a top nation yields more points than a victory over a weaker opponent, and the stage of the match – for example a knock‑out stage of the World Cup versus a friendly international – determines the valuation of the result.