{"entryType":"article","entryId":"4BlXRX1ddMMy5lv3VtygLD","articleTitle":"Top four in FIFA/Coca Cola World Ranking set for historic showdown","articlePublishedDate":"2026-07-12T03:00:00+00:00","heroImage":{"entryId":"3xNHQLLRGNgNLRbvTvKxLQ","title":"Kylian Mbappe fist pumps in celebration after scoring for France against Paraguay","src":"https://digitalhub.fifa.com/transform/c1e4c2bc-a732-43d3-a59d-ea97b7b87b57/Paraguay-v-France-Round-of-16-FIFA-World-Cup-2026?focuspoint=0.48,0.33","alt":"FOXBOROUGH, MASSACHUSETTS - JUNE 29: (EDITOR'S NOTE: Image was captured using a remote camera from behind the goal.) Orlando Gill #12 of Paraguay celebrates as Jonathan Tah #4 of Germany misses the team's sixth penalty during the penalty shootout during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round Of 32 match between Germany and Paraguay at Boston Stadium on June 29, 2026 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. 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","marks":[]},{"nodeType":"text","data":{},"value":"Les\u00A0Bleus","marks":[{"type":"italic"}]},{"nodeType":"text","data":{},"value":" have since moved to the summit in the live standings, with ","marks":[]},{"nodeType":"text","data":{},"value":"La\u00A0Albiceleste","marks":[{"type":"italic"}]},{"nodeType":"text","data":{},"value":" and ","marks":[]},{"nodeType":"text","data":{},"value":"La\u00A0Roja","marks":[{"type":"italic"}]},{"nodeType":"text","data":{},"value":" both slipping one spot and the ","marks":[]},{"nodeType":"text","data":{},"value":"Three\u00A0Lions","marks":[{"type":"italic"}]},{"nodeType":"text","data":{},"value":" continuing to round off the quartet.","marks":[]}]},{"nodeType":"paragraph","data":{},"content":[{"nodeType":"text","data":{},"value":"These four footballing colossi are now all set to do battle for a place in the grand final of the ","marks":[]},{"nodeType":"hyperlink","data":{"uri":"https://www.fifa.com/en/tournaments/mens/worldcup/canadamexicousa2026"},"content":[{"nodeType":"text","data":{},"value":"FIFA World Cup 2026™","marks":[]}]},{"nodeType":"text","data":{},"value":" in what is the latest landmark delivered by the groundbreaking tournament in Canada, Mexico and the United States.","marks":[]}]},{"nodeType":"embedded-entry-block","content":[],"data":{"target":{"internalTitle":"General > World Ranking Men (Global)","title":"FIFA/Coca-Cola Men's World Ranking","gender":"Male","mensLinkDescription":"EXPLORE FULL MEN'S RANKING","mensFullTableLinkText":"https://inside.fifa.com/fifa-world-ranking/men","sys":{"locale":"en","contentType":{"systemProperties":{"id":"worldRanking"}},"id":"1hN2KHfoycx7Cf2On3OVsm","createdAt":"2024-07-15T11:15:00.356Z","updatedAt":"2025-10-17T11:30:21.413Z"}}}},{"nodeType":"heading-3","data":{},"content":[{"nodeType":"text","data":{},"value":"An unprecedented line-up","marks":[{"type":"bold"}]}]},{"nodeType":"paragraph","data":{},"content":[{"nodeType":"text","data":{},"value":"Not only have the top four in the official pecking order never met in the semi-finals of the global showpiece, but never before has the line-up at this stage even been entirely comprised of teams from the top\u00A0ten (though it is worth bearing in mind that the FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking was only launched in December\u00A01992).","marks":[]}]},{"nodeType":"paragraph","data":{},"content":[{"nodeType":"text","data":{},"value":"The closest occasion to such a scenario was in 2014, when second-ranked Germany, third-placed hosts Brazil and fifth-ranked Argentina were joined by the Netherlands, who stood 15th  at the time.","marks":[]}]},{"nodeType":"paragraph","data":{},"content":[{"nodeType":"text","data":{},"value":"At South Africa\u00A02010, meanwhile, Spain, the Netherlands, Germany and Uruguay reached the last four while sitting second, fourth, sixth and 16th respectively.","marks":[]}]},{"nodeType":"embedded-entry-block","content":[],"data":{"target":{"bynderImage":[{"activeOriginalFocusPoint":{"x":2286,"y":1828},"transformBaseUrl":"https://digitalhub.fifa.com/transform/1fbec786-5776-4886-bfa1-f86e29b4dc34/Thomas-Muller-celebrates-scoring-for-Germany-against-Brazil-in-the-2014-FIFA-World-Cup-semi-finals?focuspoint=0.54,0.42","archive":0,"brandId":"72D89B05-390F-41C1-8A790314146E869B","copyright":"2014 FIFA","dateCreated":"2024-05-16T17:36:19Z","dateModified":"2026-06-27T16:51:44Z","datePublished":"2014-07-08T17:10:02Z","description":"BELO HORIZONTE, BRAZIL - JULY 08:  Thomas Mueller (C) of Germany celebrates scoring his team's first goal during the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil Semi Final match between Brazil and Germany at Estadio Mineirao on July 8, 2014 in Belo Horizonte, Brazil.  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