EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ – JUNE 26: Lionel Messi #10 of Argentina looks on before the game winning penalty kick is made during the Copa America Centenario Championship match at MetLife Stadium on June 26, 2016 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Chile defeated Argentina 4-2 in penalty kicks. (Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images)

Top five to stay same, USMNT expecting big rise in FIFA rankings update

The July FIFA rankings come out Thursday and it is expected to have some wild changes. With the Copa America Centenario and Euro 2016 counting this month, it’s a prime time for teams to move up and down as they look forward to World Cup Qualifying in a couple months.

While the rankings officially come out Thursday, we can tally up the point totals every team is expecting to have and have a good idea who will be where before the actual list is revealed. Shockingly, the top five are expected to remain the same.

Copa America finalist Argentina maintain first by a healthy margin. Belgium likewise has a strong hold on second. And then Colombia, Germany and Copa champs Chile remain three, four and five. Six through ten is completely different with Euro winners Portugal moving up from eighth to sixth. Euro finalist France moves up ten spots to seventh. Spain and Brazil both drop two spots to eighth and ninth and Italy gains two spots to tenth.

On the CONCACAF front, both Mexico and the United States are expected to move up the rankings. Mexico is expecting to move up two spots from 16th to 14th while the United States is likely going up six spots from 31st to 25th and passing Costa Rica (28th) due to their semifinal appearance in the Copa America. Here’s a further look at the top 30. Note that while these numbers are expecting to be accurate, they are not 100% confirmed until FIFA releases the July rankings Wednesday July 13.

1) Argentina – 1585 points, 1503 points last month, +0 positions from last month
2) Belgium – 1401 points, 1384 points last month, +0 positions from last month
3) Colombia – 1298 points, 1328 points last month, +0 positions from last month
4) Germany – 1282 points, 1310 points last month, +0 positions from last month
5) Chile – 1276 points, 1293 points last month, +0 positions from last month
 
6) Portugal – 1237 points, 1181 points last month, +2 positions from last month
7) France – 1210 points, 925 points last month, +10 positions from last month
8) Spain – 1165 points, 1267 points last month, -2 positions from last month
9) Brazil – 1156 points, 1257 points last month, -2 positions from last month
10) Italy – 1155 points, 982 points last month, +2 positions from last month
 
11) Wales – 1137 points, 846 points last month, +15 positions from last month
12) Uruguay – 1130 points, 1150 points last month, -3 positions from last month
13) England – 1107 points, 1069 points last month, -2 positions from last month
14) Mexico – 1044 points, 942 points last month, +2 positions from last month
15) Croatia – 1022 points, 842 points last month, +12 positions from last month
 
16) Ecuador – 1002 points, 978 points last month, -3 positions from last month
17) Poland – 972 points, 842 points last month, +11 positions from last month
18) Switzerland – 958 points, 948 points last month, -3 positions from last month
19) Turkey – 915 points, 919 points last month, -1 position from last month
19) Hungary – 915 points, 886 points last month, +1 position from last month
 
21) Austria – 894 points, 1077 points last month, -11 positions from last month
22) Iceland – 871 points, 751 points last month, +12 positions from last month
23) Slovakia – 867 points, 852 points last month, +1 position from last month
24) Romania – 856 points, 878 points last month, -2 positions from last month
25) United States – 855 points, 803 points last month, +6 positions from last month
 
26) Netherlands – 848 points, 959 points last month, -12 positions from last month
27) Ireland – 843 points, 768 points last month, +6 positions from last month
28) Costa Rica – 840 points, 853 points last month, -5 positions from last month
29) Northern Ireland – 822 points, 851 points last month, -4 positions from last month
30) Ukraine – 801 points, 894 points last month, -11 positions from last month

About Phillip Bupp

Producer/editor of the Awful Announcing Podcast and Short and to the Point. News editor for The Comeback and Awful Announcing. Highlight consultant for Major League Soccer as well as a freelance writer for hire. Opinions are my own but feel free to agree with them. Follow me on Twitter and Instagram @phillipbupp

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