The latest FIFA Men’s World Rankings, released on December 23, 2025, have set the stage for a wave of anticipation and reflection across European football. With the rankings fresh off the presses and the dust barely settling from a dramatic year of World Cup qualifiers, fans and analysts alike are poring over the numbers to make sense of a year that offered both heartbreak and hope for several national teams.
Spain continues to reign supreme atop the global standings, maintaining their grip on the number one spot with 1,877.18 points. Hot on their heels are Argentina, France, and England, rounding out a familiar top four that has dominated the international scene for years. Brazil, Portugal, the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, and Croatia complete the prestigious top ten, each nation boasting a proud footballing tradition and a roster of world-class talent.
For Hungary, the latest update brings a bittersweet sense of progress. The national team inched up one place to 40th, leapfrogging Tunisia and finding itself in the company of football’s middle powers. Yet, this minor victory comes at the end of what many are calling the team’s most challenging year under coach Marco Rossi. The Italian-born tactician, who’s been at the helm since 2018 and now holds Hungarian citizenship, guided his squad through a turbulent 2025 campaign marked by both promise and pain.
Hungary’s journey through the World Cup qualifying series was a rollercoaster. The team played ten matches, managing three wins, two draws, and suffering five losses. The most crushing blow came in Budapest at the iconic Puskás Arena, where Hungary fell 3-2 to Ireland in a World Cup qualifier. A last-minute goal sealed their fate, leaving them third in their group and out of the play-offs. That result means Hungary has now missed out on World Cup qualification for the tenth consecutive time—a streak that has become a sore spot for fans and players alike.
Reflecting on the year, Eurosport described 2025 as the Hungarian national team’s poorest under Rossi, a sentiment echoed across Hungarian sports media. It’s a stark contrast to the highs of 2023, when the team finished the season undefeated and looked poised for a breakthrough. “We showed promise, but football can be cruel,” Rossi remarked in a recent interview. “The margins are thin, and sometimes it comes down to a single moment.”
Despite the setbacks, there are reasons for cautious optimism. Hungary’s schedule for 2026 is packed, with six Nations League matches and four preparatory friendlies on the horizon. The action kicks off with two warm-up games between March 23 and 31, followed by another pair of friendlies from June 1 to 9, just before the World Cup in North America. While their opponents have yet to be confirmed, these matches offer a chance for the squad to regroup, experiment, and build chemistry ahead of the next competitive cycle.
The 2026-27 Nations League campaign will see Hungary competing in Division B, having dropped down after a tough elimination by Türkiye in the Division A qualifiers earlier this year. The draw for the group stage is scheduled for February 12, and Hungary’s possible opponents include some familiar faces and potential banana skins. From Pot 2, they could face Switzerland, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Austria, or Ukraine. Pot 3 presents the likes of Slovenia, Georgia, Ireland, or Romania, while Pot 4 offers Sweden, North Macedonia, Northern Ireland, or Kosovo. The group winners will earn promotion to Division A, while the fourth-placed teams face relegation to Division C. There’s plenty at stake, with the added drama of play-offs for runners-up and third-placed teams.
Hungary’s Nations League fixtures are set for a busy autumn: four matches between September 23 and October 5, and two more from November 11 to 16. The qualifying play-offs for the 2027 edition are already penciled in for March 25-30, 2027. It’s a grueling schedule, but one that could help the team turn the page on a difficult year.
Elsewhere in Europe, Croatia continues to cement its status as a footballing powerhouse. The Vatreni finished 2025 ranked 10th in the world, with 1,716.88 points, underscoring their consistency and resilience. Croatia’s spot in the elite top ten is a testament to their strong performances in international competition, and with the 2026 World Cup looming, excitement is building. The Croatians will compete in Group L alongside England, Ghana, and Panama—a challenging draw, but one that offers plenty of opportunity for drama and upsets.
Estonia, meanwhile, finds itself at the opposite end of the spectrum. The men’s national team rounds out the year at 130th in the FIFA rankings, just behind Azerbaijan, Cyprus, and Zimbabwe, but ahead of Rwanda, Nicaragua, and Guinea-Bissau. Despite finishing ahead of Baltic rivals Latvia (140th) and Lithuania (146th), Estonia’s fourth-place finish in qualifying Group I—with just four points—meant another missed World Cup. The Faroe Islands, ranked 125th, drew attention with a stunning home victory over the Czech Republic in October, narrowly missing out on the final qualifier play-offs. For Estonia, the rankings are a sober reminder of the work ahead, but also a point of pride in outpacing their neighbors.
Looking at the broader picture, the latest FIFA rankings offer a snapshot of global football’s shifting landscape. The top ten remain unchanged from the previous month, a testament to the enduring quality of the world’s best teams. The 2026 World Cup hosts—USA (14th), Mexico (15th), and Canada (27th)—hold steady, while Morocco (11th), Italy (12th), and Colombia (13th) round out the upper echelon. The next rankings update is scheduled for January 18, 2026, and with so many teams eager to climb the ladder, every match in the coming months will carry extra weight.
For Hungary, Croatia, and Estonia, the year’s end brings a mix of reflection and anticipation. Hungary’s modest rise in the rankings offers a glimmer of hope after a painful year, while Croatia’s top ten finish sets the stage for another run at glory. Estonia, though still far from the summit, can take solace in regional progress and the promise of better days ahead. As the countdown to the 2026 World Cup and the next Nations League cycle begins, all eyes will be on these teams to see how they respond to the challenges—and opportunities—that lie ahead.
