Results that moved the ladder
When a result reshapes the board, the Journal writes it up. Facts come straight from the match data; reports are written automatically.
14 November 2026Denmark seize fifth as Portugal suffer heavy home defeat
Denmark’s 4–1 Nations League victory takes them above Portugal into fifth, with the beaten hosts dropping to sixth in a direct ladder exchange.
14 November 2026Norway seize 21st as Wales slide 16 places
Norway’s 3–1 Nations League victory lifted them from 37th to 21st on the World Football Ladder, leaving Wales to make the reverse journey.
14 November 2026Japan beat Brazil to seize 15th place
Japan’s 3–2 friendly victory reversed the teams’ ladder positions, lifting them to 15th and sending Brazil down to 16th.
14 November 2026Ecuador climb seven places as Costa Rica slide to 60th
Ecuador’s 2–0 friendly victory lifted them to 53rd on the World Football Ladder, with Costa Rica falling seven places in a direct reversal of their positions.
13 November 2026Uruguay seize second as Argentina tumble twelve places
Uruguay’s 2–1 away victory lifted them from 14th to second, sending Argentina in the opposite direction on a night of sweeping ladder consequences.
13 November 2026Kuwait leap 61 places as Syria suffer heavy ladder fall
Kuwait’s 3–0 friendly victory lifted them from 145th to 84th, while Syria dropped to their opponents’ former position after a second consecutive defeat.
13 November 2026Saudi Arabia leap 43 places as Korea Republic tumble
Saudi Arabia’s 3–2 friendly victory lifted them from 61st to 18th on the World Football Ladder, sending Korea Republic in the opposite direction.
13 November 2026UAE take 65th as Honduras slide in ladder exchange
United Arab Emirates beat Honduras 3–1 to climb three places, turning a friendly victory into a direct reversal of the teams’ ladder positions.
12 November 2026Italy seize fourth as France slide eight places
Italy’s 3–1 Nations League victory brought an eight-place climb to fourth, while France fell to the 12th place their opponents had occupied.
12 November 2026Russia seize 20th as Uzbekistan slide fifteen places
Russia’s 3–2 friendly victory away to Uzbekistan brought a fifteen-place climb, with the hosts falling from 20th to 35th.
7 October 2026Chile take Mexico’s place as friendly defeat deepens slide
Chile’s 2–0 victory lifts them ten places to 41st, while Mexico fall to 51st with a second successive defeat.
6 October 2026Slovenia seize 42nd as Scotland slide seventeen places
Slovenia’s 2–1 UEFA Nations League victory lifted them from 59th to 42nd, leaving Scotland to absorb a seventeen-place fall.
6 October 2026Belarus seize Finland’s place with 30-place leap
A 1–0 UEFA Nations League victory lifted Belarus from 96th to 66th, while Finland fell 30 places in a sharp reversal of their ladder positions.
6 October 2026Tajikistan climb 31 places as China PR tumble
A 1–0 friendly victory lifted Tajikistan to 95th on the World Football Ladder, with China PR falling to the position their visitors had occupied.
5 October 2026Bosnia seize Poland’s place with 16-place ladder leap
Bosnia and Herzegovina’s 1–0 Nations League victory lifted them from 54th to 38th, sending Poland down to the position their hosts had occupied.
5 October 2026Sri Lanka seize 178th as Mauritius slide nine places
Sri Lanka’s 3–2 away victory over Mauritius delivered a nine-place climb, with the hosts falling to 187th in a direct reversal of their positions.
- 4 October 2026
Denmark seize sixth as Wales slide 15 places
Denmark’s 1–0 UEFA Nations League victory lifted them from 21st to sixth on the World Football Ladder, sending Wales in the opposite direction.
4 October 2026South Africa seize 22nd as Egypt slide eight places
South Africa’s 1–0 away win lifted them from 30th to 22nd on the World Football Ladder, with Egypt falling eight places after a second successive defeat.
4 October 2026USA seize tenth as Mexico slide 31 places
A 3–0 friendly victory sends USA from 41st to tenth on the World Football Ladder, with Mexico falling to the position their rivals vacated.
3 October 2026Cameroon seize 23rd as Côte d'Ivoire slide 21 places
Cameroon’s 1–0 away victory brought a dramatic ladder exchange, lifting them to 23rd and sending Côte d'Ivoire down to 44th.
3 October 2026Estonia leap 40 places as Luxembourg slide deepens
Estonia’s 1–0 UEFA Nations League victory lifts them from 127th to 87th on the World Football Ladder, sending Luxembourg in the opposite direction.
3 October 2026Finland climb nine places as Albania surrender 66th
Finland’s 2–1 UEFA Nations League victory lifted them from 75th to 66th on the World Football Ladder, with Albania falling to the place their opponents vacated.
3 October 2026Paraguay take Colombia’s place with eight-place leap
Paraguay’s 1–0 friendly victory lifted them from 27th to 19th, while Colombia fell eight places in a sharp reversal of their ladder standing.
2 October 2026Northern Ireland seize 32nd as Ukraine tumble 38 places
Northern Ireland’s 3–0 UEFA Nations League victory lifted them from 70th to 32nd on the ladder, sending Ukraine sharply in the opposite direction.
2 October 2026Cyprus seize 107th as Armenia slide 17 places
Cyprus beat Armenia 2–0 in the UEFA Nations League, climbing from 124th to 107th and sending their visitors back to the place they vacated.
2 October 2026Moldova climb 48 places as Kazakhstan slide
Moldova’s 2–1 away win in the UEFA Nations League lifted them to 111th on the World Football Ladder, with Kazakhstan falling to 159th.
2 October 2026Uganda seize 46th as Congo DR tumble 43 places
Uganda’s 2–0 away victory turned a friendly into a major ladder exchange, lifting them to 46th and sending Congo DR down to 89th.
2 October 2026Palestine hit five to take China PR’s place
Palestine’s 5–0 away victory lifted them from 95th to 91st, exchanging places with China PR as the hosts’ losing sequence reached three matches.