The Ukrainian national team has dropped to its lowest position in the FIFA rankings in eight years
2 April 07:37
The Ukrainian national soccer team has dropped to 32nd place in the updated FIFA rankings as of April 1, 2026. This is the national team’s lowest ranking in nearly eight years: in 2018, the team was ranked 35th, and subsequently climbed higher, according to "Komersant Ukrainian"
The updated rankings were disappointing for Serhiy Rebrov’s team. According to the latest table, Ukraine has 1,546.88 points and ranks 32nd.
Ranked higher are, notably, Norway, which is in 31st place, while Panama, Ivory Coast, and Poland are ranked lower.
Why Ukraine dropped in the FIFA rankings
The main reason for the drop was Ukraine’s loss to Sweden in the 2026 World Cup qualifying playoffs. The team lost to the Swedes 1-3, with Viktor Djokeres scoring a hat trick in that match.
It was after this victory that Sweden advanced to the playoff final, where they subsequently defeated Poland and qualified for the World Cup.
Following the defeat against Sweden, the Ukrainian national team played a friendly match against Albania and won 1-0. Oleksii Hutsulyak scored the only goal of the match immediately after halftime.
However, this victory was not enough to offset the ranking losses following the playoffs.
What does 32nd place mean for the Ukrainian national team
The drop to 32nd place means that Ukraine has fallen out of the top 30 in the world rankings. Before the update, the team was ranked higher, but now it has fallen behind a number of competitors.
For the Ukrainian national team, this is the lowest ranking since August 2018, when it was 35th in the FIFA rankings.
The FIFA ranking is important not only as a formal indicator of prestige. It can influence seeding during draws in qualifying rounds and final tournaments, and generally reflects the current stability of a team’s results.
The official FIFA website states that the table is generated using the Elo model, where teams gain or lose points depending on the match result, the status of the match, and the strength of the opponent.
Who Tops the FIFA Rankings
In the new FIFA rankings, the French national team took first place, ahead of Spain.
The top 10 also includes Argentina, England, Portugal, Brazil, the Netherlands, Morocco, Belgium, and Germany.
What’s next for Serhiy Rebrov’s team
For the Ukrainian national team, the key task now will be to return to consistent results in upcoming official matches. Only then can the team climb back up the FIFA rankings and return to the ranks of the world’s 30 strongest national teams.
The next official update of the FIFA rankings is scheduled for June 10, 2026
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