September’s World Cup qualifiers were not exactly positive for the U.S. Men’s National Team, and that has been reflected in the latest FIFA rankings.
Following a loss to Costa Rica and a tie with Honduras, the USMNT fell two places to 28th in the latest FIFA rankings. The U.S. remains the third-highest ranked team in CONCACAF behind 14th-ranked Mexico and 21st-ranked Costa Rica.
The USMNT’s upcoming opponents, Panama and Trinidad & Tobago, are ranked 60th and 99th, respectively.
Due to the results in September, the U.S. is now battling for a third-place finish in the CONCACAF Hexagonal that would see the team move directly to the World Cup. Should the team finish fourth, the U.S. would face off in a playoff against Australia or Syria. Australia is currently ranked 50th while Syria sits 75th.
Atop the rankings, Germany leapfrogged Brazil to assume the top spot while Portugal, Argentina and Belgium round out the top five. Poland, Switzerland, France, Chile and Colombia, in that order, complete the top 10.
Cape Verde Islands are the big movers this month, rising 47 whole spots to 67th.