FIFA decide Argentina still aren't the best team in the world despite winning the World Cup

Argentina must have felt on top of the world when they won the World Cup in December, yet according to FIFA, they aren't.

At the end of last year, Argentina ended a 36-year wait to lift the World Cup when Lionel Messi guided La Albiceleste to glory in Qatar.

Although Lionel Scaloni's team got off to a rocky start with an opening-game defeat to Saudi Arabia, by the end of the tournament nobody could argue that they hadn't been the best team.

Lionel Messi was sensational, scoring seven goals and finally replicating the national team success of Diego Maradona all those years ago.

But unlike in past tournaments, Messi's teammates stepped up to the plate and didn't let him carry the hopes and dreams of a nation all by himself.

The Argentine players fought tooth and nail all over the pitch to get the job done, from Emi Martinez in goal to Julian Alvarez up front.

Following up their 2021 Copa America triumph with the biggest prize of them all surely means that Argentina are the best team on the planet, right?

Well, not according to FIFA.

According to the latest FIFA World Rankings, the South American and world champions are the second best team in world football.

The best? Arch-rivals Brazil, of course.

Brazil crashed out of the World Cup with a penalty shootout defeat to Croatia in the quarter-finals, but they still sit top of the rankings.

It was actually Brazil who Argentina beat in the Copa America final two years ago, but that doesn't appear to have made much difference either.

Messi with father Jorge at the World Cup final. Image: Alamy

Anyone with an ounce of international football knowledge knows that the Samba Boys are not the best side on the planet, but a change in how FIFA decides the rankings might explain why they still hold top spot.

Teams are awarded and deducted points based on wins and losses, with some wins earning more points based on the ranking of the opponent.

So far so good.

But in 2018, FIFA changed how the rankings are worked out.

In the past, points were totted up over a given time period, whereas now points are just added to a team's overall total.

Brazil had more points than Argentina prior to the 2021 Copa America and the 2022 World Cup, but despite winning both tournaments, Messi's men haven't quite overtaken their neighbours yet.

Brazil currently have 1,840.77 points, while Argentina have 1,838.38.

If only there was a competition in which teams from across the globe could come together to decide who is the best...