ZURICH — The Argentine national soccer team, reigning world champions, has concluded 2024 as the highest-ranked men’s team in the FIFA standings for the second consecutive year.

The latest rankings, released on Thursday, indicated only minor shifts as only 21 international matches occurred since the last update in November.

Argentina secured the year-end top position, maintaining its lead over France, while Spain, the current European champion, rounded out the top three.

The remaining teams within the top ten saw no alterations: England held the fourth spot, followed by Brazil, Portugal, the Netherlands, Belgium, Italy, and Germany.

FIFA noted that Angola, which participated in the highest number of matches throughout 2024, achieved the most significant improvement in rankings, climbing 32 places to settle at 85th overall.

The next release of the FIFA rankings is anticipated in April.