Rabat – Morocco’s national football team has maintained its position as the top-ranked African side despite dropping one place to seventh in the latest FIFA world ranking released on Wednesday.
The Atlas Lions collected 1,805.34 points in the October ranking after recording two victories in the qualifiers for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) and a draw in a friendly match.
Morocco’s drop in the global standings came as Portugal made significant progress, climbing two places to fifth after recording six victories in the UEFA Nations League.
Portugal’s rise saw it overtake Brazil, which fell one place to sixth, and Morocco, which moved from sixth to seventh.
Despite the drop, Morocco remains comfortably ahead of its African mates.
Senegal retained 18th place globally to remain Africa’s second-highest-ranked team, while Egypt dropped one place to 25th.
The October ranking takes into account 338 international matches played since the conclusion of the 2026 FIFA World Cup on July 19.
According to FIFA, the matches included UEFA Nations League fixtures, CONCACAF competitions, and qualifiers for the 2027 AFCON, all of which contributed to significant changes in the latest standings.
Spain retained the top spot globally and strengthened its position after its recent results. Argentina remained second, around 40 points behind Spain, while France ranked third and England fourth.
Within the top 20, Switzerland recorded one of the biggest improvements, climbing two places to 12th. The Swiss side moved ahead of Germany, which dropped to 13th, and Croatia, which fell to 14th.
Portugal and Switzerland both won all four of their Nations League matches, contributing to their rise in the rankings.
Africa also strengthened its presence among the world’s top 50 teams.
Mali climbed six places to 47th, while South Africa also moved up six positions to 48th. Their progress means that the Confederation of African Football (CAF) now has 10 teams among the world’s top 50.
CAF’s representation in the top 50 increased as UEFA dropped to 24 teams and CONMEBOL to eight. The Czech Republic and Peru fell out of the top 50, ranking 51st and 53rd, respectively.
The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and CONCACAF each have four teams among the top 50, while Oceania remains without a significant presence in the group.
AFCON qualifying matches also produced notable gains for several African teams.
Rwanda climbed nine places to 119th, Guinea-Bissau rose eight places to 124th, and Gambia moved up seven places to 109th. Botswana gained six positions to 141st, while Mozambique climbed five places to 98th.
Several teams outside Africa also made significant progress. The Dominican Republic rose nine places to 135th, Guyana climbed eight to 142nd, Northern Ireland moved six places to 64th, Estonia advanced five places to 122nd, and Barbados climbed five spots to 174th.
FIFA attributed many of these improvements to strong performances in the Nations League and CONCACAF competitions.
For Morocco, the latest ranking confirms its continued dominance in African football, with the Atlas Lions remaining the continent’s highest-ranked national team despite their slight decline in the global standings.
