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Fans are pretty much always divided when it comes to the FIFA World Rankings. But it provides an accurate description of the current state of international football. With so many international friendlies and cup competitions being played between nations these days, the FIFA World Rankings is constantly changing shape.
As is expected, the biggest footballing names in international football continue to dominate the rankings. There have been quite a few changes in terms of ranks inside the top 10 this month.
We had the final round of the 2022 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers in November and the results from those fixtures have had their say on the rankings.
Without further ado, let's take a look at the top 10 nations in the FIFA World Rankings for the month of November.
#10 Netherlands - 1653.73 points
The Netherlands have qualified for the 2022 FIFA World Cup. They topped Group G and managed to send their nearest competition, Turkey, to the playoffs. The Dutch national team gained 1.72 rating points since the rankings were last updated in October.
They settled for a 2-2 draw against Montenegro before beating Norway 2-0 in their final 2022 FIFA World Cup Qualifier. Louis van Gaal is currently the coach of the Dutch national side and they are captained by none other than Virgil van Dijk.
This Netherlands side has a lot of potential and this is arguably the strongest squad they've had over the past decade. They're expected to turn in a strong performance at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar next year.
#9 Denmark - 1654.4 points
Ever since their awe-inspiring run to the semi-finals of Euro 2020, Denmark have been a mainstay in the top 10 of the FIFA World Rankings. The Danes have qualified for the 2022 FIFA World Cup but have lost 14.44 points since October.
Denmark played two games in November. They beat Faroe Islands 3-1 but fell to a 2-0 loss to Scotland in their final qualifying matchup. Despite that loss, Kasper Hjulmand's men kept their place at the top of Group F to secure World Cup qualification. Scotland are headed to the playoffs.
#8 Portugal - 1660.25 points
Portugal have retained their place at eighth in the FIFA World Rankings but it's not been a very memorable month for Cristiano Ronaldo and co. Portugal could have sealed their ticket to the 2022 FIFA World Cup with two wins in November. They were set to play Republic of Ireland and Serbia.
However, Fernando Santos' men settled for a goalless draw against the Republic of Ireland before falling to a 2-1 defeat to Serbia in their last qualifier. Portugal will now need to win the playoffs to secure World Cup qualification.
Due to these poor results, Portugal have lost 21.48 points in the FIFA World Rankings and are fortunate to keep their place at eighth.
#7 Spain - 1704.75 points
Spain bounced back from their UEFA Nations League final heartbreak by registering back-to-back wins in their two games in November. They have qualified for the 2022 FIFA World Cup. It definitely looks like Luis Enrique will be able to take this talented Spanish side deep into next year's World Cup.
Enrique's men are a resilient unit and they also showcase great technical artistry similar to the dominant Spanish sides of old. They picked up successive 1-0 wins over Greece and Sweden in November and also gained 17.09 rating points in the process.
#6 Italy - 1740.77 points
Italy slipped up majorly in November. After crashing out in the semi-finals of the UEFA Nations League, the Azzurri weren't able to conjure up a response. Italy needed to win at least one of their two games in November to beat Switzerland to qualify for the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
However, they settled for a 1-1 draw against Switzerland with Jorginho skying a late penalty which could have won the game for Italy. Roberto Mancini's men surprisingly settled for a 0-0 draw with Northern Ireland in their final 2022 FIFA World Cup Qualifier.
They lost 9.75 points since October and have fallen from fourth to sixth in the FIFA World Rankings.
#5 Argentina - 1750.51 points
Argentina weren't extremely impressive in November but they did enough to gain 11.72 points, jump a place in the rankings and book a berth at the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
Lionel Scaloni's men played Uruguay in their first World Cup Qualifier in November. A stunning Angel Di Maria strike helped them register a 1-0 win over the Uruguayans.
La Albiceleste then played out a 0-0 draw against arch rivals Brazil. This is the first time since 2018 that Argentina have cracked the top 5 of the FIFA World Rankings.
#4 England - 1755.52 points
With Albania and San Marino being their final opponents in the 2022 FIFA World Cup Qualifying stage, England were expected to win big. But they absolutely ran riot over their opponents and scored 15 goals in two matches while conceding none.
The Three Lions beat Albania 5-0 before thrashing San Marino 10-0. Harry Kane scored four goals against San Marino and England have qualified for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in extremely comfortable fashion.
They gained 5.36 rating points in November and have jumped a place in the FIFA Rankings.
#3 France - 1786.15 points
France won the UEFA Nations League in October. It was a great way to silence their detractors who had started pointing fingers at them following their exit from Euro 2020 in the Round of 16.
Didier Deschamps' men have looked intimidating and have shown great character over the past few months. They thumped Kazakhstan 8-0 in their first qualifying game in November. Kylian Mbappe scored four goals in that game.
Les Bleus then got the better Finland, beating them by a 2-0 scoreline to qualify for the 2022 FIFA World Cup. They retained a comfortable six-point lead at the top of Group D of the European World Cup Qualifiers.
The French national side gained 6.91 rating points in November and maintained their place at third in the FIFA World Rankings.
#2 Brazil - 1826.35 points
Brazil remain unbeaten in the 2022 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers. They are at the top of the CONMEBOL Qualifiers with 11 wins and two draws from 13 matches so far. Tite is still figuring out the right configuration for this talented squad of players but they already look capable of going toe-to-toe with the best in the business.
Brazil played two games in November. They beat Colombia 1-0 thanks to a 72nd minute strike from Lucas Paqueta. The Selecao then played out a goalless draw against Argentina. Both Brazil and Argentina have secured World Cup qualification from South America.
Brazil picked up 5.99 rating points in November to maintain their place at second in the FIFA World Rankings.
#1 Belgium - 1828.45 points
Belgium have finally come within touching distance of the chasing pack. They just have a two point lead over Brazil right now. The Belgian Red Devils played two World Cup Qualifiers in November. They beat Estonia 3-1 before playing out a 1-1 draw against Wales.
Roberto Martinez's men have qualified for the 2022 FIFA World Cup rather comfortably. But they lost 3.88 points in November. There is a feeling that their run at the top of the FIFA World Rankings could be coming to an end soon.
