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FIFA has released their latest World Rankings, and the USMNT has dropped 3 spots, from 10th to 13th. That 10th spot was earned in the FIFA rankings that were released on August 12th, after a summer that included winning the Concacaf Nations League as well as the Gold Cup. The U.S. drew with El Salvador (ranked 64th at the time) and Canada (59th), before defeating Honduras (63rd) in the first 2022 World Cup qualifying window.
USMNT falls from No. 10 to No. 13 in new FIFA rankings. Mexico stays at No. 9.
— Grant Wahl (@GrantWahl) September 16, 2021
World Cup qualifying is important not just for actual entry into the tournament itself, but also for seeding. With an outstanding World Cup qualifying run, the USMNT would have a chance of being included in the coveted Pot 1, which would mean a significantly easier World Cup group. Pot 2 is certainly still within the crosshairs.
Concacaf is one of the weakest regions to qualify from, statistically speaking. Six of the seven teams the US will face in The Ocho are ranked 44th or lower. Here’s a full picture of FIFA’s rankings for Concacaf:
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Hit the comments to discuss the newest World Rankings and whether #13 is where the USMNT should be.