While FIFA’s world rankings have often been described as superfluous since their introduction in December 1992, they proved critical in shaping the 2026 World Cup.
For the first time, FIFA ensured its top four seeds—the top-four ranked teams in the world—wouldn’t meet at the tournament until the semifinals, assuming they won their respective groups. And for the first time since FIFA’s rankings emerged in the ether, the four World Cup semifinalists were the top-four ranked teams pre-tournament.
