The Michael Carrick effect is real, as Manchester United’s rise in world football is cemented in the latest rankings.
Having qualified for the Champions League last season by finishing third in the Premier League, just behind the two title-race rivals, Man Utd were set for a jump.
The Premier League is the strongest in the world anyway, so if you’re coming third in it, then you won’t be far behind in world football.
That is cemented in Opta’s latest rankings, where United have flown up to sixth place, placing them back amongst the elites again.
Man Utd are the SIXTH best club team in the world right now according to the Opta Power Rankings – How accurate do you feel this is?
We dropped to 45th under Ruben Amorim 😳
Man Utd sixth in Opta’s best team rankings
Opta update their rankings daily from Monday to Friday, so they give the very best idea of the most in-form teams in world football.
After their latest update on July 15, 2026, United come out in sixth place with a rating of 95.3/100, just ahead of Aston Villa.
Has Youri Tielemans’ transfer sealed the deal for this jump? It’s impossible to say, but Michael Carrick’s squad are above heavyweights like Real Madrid, Inter Milan, and Atletico Madrid.
Arsenal, Bayern, PSG, Man City, and Barcelona are the top five, which is extremely good company for Man Utd to be in.
It is notable that Carrick sparked this turnaround within five games of taking over at Old Trafford, guiding the club to a place in the top ten for the first time since September 2023 back in February.
In contrast, Ruben Amorim once had United down in 45th position, as if Man Utd fans needed any more evidence of that horrendous spell.
Man Utd are best-placed as they’ve been since 2012/13
United have finished above third only two times since Sir Alex Ferguson retired, but this time, despite finishing third, the signs are more optimistic than ever before.
What are Michael Carrick’s three biggest priorities this summer to prepare for 2026/27?🤔
The Manchester United head coach has so much work to do…
One second-place finish was under Jose Mourinho, with whom the clock towards an implosion is always ticking.
The second was under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, and the fans were braced for the unambitious Glazers to let him down thereafter, which did happen.
This time, the Glazers are not making decisions, the manager is not combustible, and the team is on an upward trajectory with a specific plan.
If everything comes together, it won’t be a surprise if United top these rankings at some point next season.
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