Some countries arrive at the 2026 World Cup with high expectations, and Turkiye are one of those teams after steadily maintaining their position in the FIFA world ranking over the last few years.
The current FIFA world ranking of Turkiye is 22nd with 1605.73 points in the latest June 11 update, a position that is not going to change until the competition ends.
This leaves them far from the best moments in their history because the country reached fifth place in 2004. Their lowest point came earlier, when they were 67th in 1993.
Turkiye’s rivals
If the FIFA world ranking is any indication of the favorites in Group D, Turkiye should be among the main candidates to reach the next round. Only the United States stand above them in the group, occupying 17th place in the ranking.
Paraguay are the lowest ranked team (Richard Heathcote/Getty Images)
The next closest team to Turkiye is Australia, who are positioned 27th in the list. While not far behind, that gap still gives the European side an advantage on paper.
see also
Turkiye 2026 World Cup preview: Squad breakdown, key player, and tactical analysis
The lowest-ranked country in the group is Paraguay. They sit in 41st place in the ranking, making them the only team in the group outside the top 30.
FIFA ranking procedure
The FIFA ranking published on the federation’s website is not always easy to follow because it relies on a complex algorithm that uses several variables. Its next update is scheduled for July 19, with an explanation of how it works available on the official site.
According to FIFA: A new model took effect in August 2018 after approval by the FIFA Council. This new version relies on adding/subtracting points won or lost for a game to/from the previous point totals rather than averaging game points over a given time period as in the previous version of the World Ranking. The points which are added or subtracted are partially determined by the relative strength of the two opponents, including the logical expectation that teams higher in the ranking should fare better against teams lower in the ranking.
