Spain have closed out the year at the top of the FIFA rankings, with world champions Argentina holding on to second place. Bangladesh, meanwhile, remain unchanged in the latest update.
Bangladesh hold 180th spot
In the rankings published on FIFA’s website on 22 December, Bangladesh are placed 180th in the world. They had moved up three places to reach this position in the previous update on 19 November and have now retained it, despite a marginal drop of 0.09 points. The next ranking update is due on 19 January.
Steady progress through the year
Bangladesh began the year on a positive note. After finishing 2024 in 185th place, they climbed two spots to 183rd in April 2025. FIFA then updated the rankings three more times between July and October, during which Bangladesh were ranked 184th twice and 183rd once.
Key results make the difference
The arrival of players such as Hamza and Shamit has helped reshape Bangladeshi football, with that impact reflected in the rankings. In October, Bangladesh drew away to Hong Kong in the AFC Asian Cup qualifiers before securing a crucial win over India on 18 November. That victory proved decisive, lifting them three places to 180th.
No change at the top
Behind Spain and Argentina, there was no movement among the teams ranked third to fifth. France remain third, England fourth and five-time world champions Brazil fifth, with Portugal sixth.
Vietnam recorded the biggest rise in this update, climbing three places, while Malaysia suffered the sharpest fall, dropping five places to 121st. Palestine, who moved up one spot, registered the biggest points gain, adding 14.18 to their total.
