DFB-Eleven enters World Cup as tenth in the FIFA World Ranking

For the German team, the ranking also has very practical significance. The FIFA ranking can be consulted at the World Cup when two or more teams are level on points. It can also play a role in determining the eight best third-placed teams.

Significance of the ranking for the tournament

On Sunday (7:00 PM CET), the DFB-Eleven faces Curaçao in Houston. The opening opponent occupies 82nd place in the ranking ahead of the duel with the German team and is thus considered a clear underdog. The coach of the German team is Julian Nagelsmann, who enters the tournament with a 26-player squad. The total market value of the DFB contingent is listed at 947.00 million euros.

In addition to the top positions, there were further shifts in the ranking. Côte d'Ivoire moved up one place and is now 33rd. Ecuador remains in 23rd place. These shifts have no direct impact on the German team, but they show the dynamics of world football in the run-up to the tournament.

Further shifts in the ranking

The constellation on the opening weekend illustrates the range of the field: while Argentina, France, and Spain form the top, Curaçao, an underdog in 82nd place, is the opening opponent of the DFB-Eleven. The ranking underscores the different starting positions of the 48 participating teams competing for the title in the USA, Canada, and Mexico.

For the DFB-Eleven, the duel against Curaçao marks the beginning of the mission to build on past World Cup successes. The starting position as tenth in the World Ranking gives the team the role of a co-favorite, even though the competition will be fierce in the coming weeks. In the group stage, further tasks await, in which the ranking can serve as a benchmark.

The fact that FIFA publishes the ranking on the opening day of the tournament gives the current standings a special symbolic power. From now on, the placement serves as a reference point for the entire World Cup finals, whether in cases of tied points in the group stage or in comparisons of the best third-placed teams.