Dhaka, Sept. 19 -- Spain have ended Argentina's long reign at the top of the FIFA rankings, climbing to the summit after more than a year of stellar performances. Argentina, who held the top spot for a significant period, have now dropped to third place.

The latest rankings, released by world football's governing body FIFA on Thursday, reflect the results of the recent international break. France also moved up one spot to second, while five-time world champions Brazil slipped to sixth.

A return to the top

This marks Spain's return to the top of the men's rankings for the first time since June 2014, when they were the reigning World Cup and two-time European Championship winners. La Roja's rise was fueled by an impressive start to their...