The United States has struggled over the past couple weeks, and those woes were reflected in the September 2017 FIFA World Rankings. The USMNT dropped 2 spots to #28 in the rankings, still 3rd in CONCACAF behind Mexico (14th) and Costa Rica (21). To advance to the World Cup, the USMNT will have to get past Panama (60th) at home and Trinidad and Tobago (T-99th, down 16 spots) on the road.
Germany is the new #1 in the rankings, creeping past Brazil (down a spot to #2). The full top 10: Germany, Brazil, Portugal, Argentina, Belgium, Poland, Switzerland, France, Chile, and Colombia. World Cup hosts Russia are 64th.
Fellow CONCACAF member Guatemala took the worst freefall of any team in this month’s rankings, dropping 31 spots to #131. No matter what you think of the rankings and the coefficient that goes into it, one thing’s for sure: the USMNT needs to do work next month against teams they should beat if they want to go to the World Cup.