FIFA World Rankings for all Euro 2024 teams... Gareth Southgate's Three Lions are favourite to lift the trophy HOWEVER two other teams rank higher on FIFA's list heading into the competition

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Excitement is building for the 2024 UEFA European Championship's as Germany are set to host the hotly anticipated tournament this month. 

This summer will mark the 17th edition of Europe's highly coveted international championship and this time round, the level of competition has grown immensely.

Current champions Italy will be aiming to retain their title and hold off stiff competition from pre-tournament favourites England, France and Germany.

Despite being favourites to lift the trophy this summer, Gareth Southgate and the Three Lions have yet to have any success lifting a major trophy - they will be hoping they can change their fortunes and England's prophecy of never winning the European Championship title this summer.

However according to FIFA they are not the best team in Europe heading into the tournament as two other national teams rank better than them in FIFA's latest world rankings. Here is the FIFA World Ranking of the 24 national teams taking part at Euro 2024. 

Gareth Southgate's Three Lions have the third best FIFA World ranking at Euro 2024 

Euro 2020 winner's Italy will be hoping they can retain their crown despite tough competition from the likes of France, England and hosts Germany 

The performances of all 24 national teams involved in Euro 2024 has been calculated by FIFA ahead of the opening game of the competition on Friday, June 14. 

FIFA released their latest rankings on April 4 2024 and won't be updating their current rankings until the tournament is well and truly underway. 

The latest FIFA Rankings make for an interesting read heading into the tournament, although Germany are one of the favourites to find glory this summer, FIFA have them ranked as only the 16th best team in the world and the ninth best in Europe. 

FIFA World Rankings 

No European team occupy's FIFA's top spot on their list as World Champions Argentina sit pretty on top of the pile.

The South American side claimed the number one spot after beating France in the 2022 World Cup. France are the highest ranked European team on the list in second place.

Belgium occupy the third spot, whilst the Three Lions follow close behind in fourth, to make it three European representatives in the top five.

Portugal, the Netherlands, Spain, Italy and Croatia are the other European teams who have earned a spot in FIFA's top ten.  

France are the best team in Europe according to the FIFA World Rankings 

Hosts Germany will be hoping FIFA rankings stand for nothing this summer as they are not even ranked in the 15 in the world standings 

Georgia will be the lowest ranked side at Euro 2024, placed 75th in the world by FIFA

Should FIFA's top-ranked European side win Euro 2024 

What does history say...

Logistically it would make sense that the top ranked European side should come out as victorious winners this summer.

However looking back through the history of the tournament that has not always been the case. 

FIFA rankings first arose in 1992, so the first Euro tournament which we can compare the champions to the top ranked FIFA side at the time was Euro '96 in England.

Germany were the best ranked European side heading into England, ranked second in the world, the Germans would go on to lift the trophy at Wembley that summer.

Since then, the top ranked European side by FIFA and the winners of Europe being the same country has varied over the years.  

Belgium's 'Golden Generation' were unable to capitalise on their FIFA World ranking and win UEFA's European competition on the two occasions they were Europe's top ranked side

How are FIFA Rankings calculated? 

FIFA World Rankings are determined by using the Elo model.

This method was adapted by FIFA in 2018, and adds or subtracts points for matches to or from a team's existing point total. 

The points which are added or subtracted are partially influenced by the following factors of the fixtures.

• Relative team strength
• Match importance
• Match result
• Expected match result