Morocco Nears Nigeria’s FIFA Ranking Record, Reach Historic Seventh Place
The Atlas Lions of Morocco have achieved a historic milestone, climbing to seventh place in the latest FIFA/Coca-Cola Men’s World Ranking released on Thursday.
This marks their highest-ever position since the ranking system was introduced in August 1993. Morocco now stands just two steps away from equalling Nigeria’s long-standing African record of fifth place, set by the Super Eagles in 1994.
With only 12.75 points separating seventh-placed Morocco (1755.19) from fifth-placed Portugal (1767.85), the North Africans are within striking distance of surpassing both Portugal and Brazil if they replicate their semifinal feat from four years ago while those teams falter in the knockout stages.
Meanwhile, Nigeria’s Super Eagles remain 26th globally and third in Africa, underscoring the contrasting fortunes of the continent’s two football powerhouses.
At the summit, reigning world champions Argentina surged back to first place after victories in warm-up matches against Iceland and Honduras. Spain held firm in second, while France slipped to third following a loss to Côte d’Ivoire before defeating Northern Ireland.
Elsewhere in the top ten, Morocco’s rise pushed the Netherlands down to eighth. Mexico (14th) and Uruguay (16th) also gained ground, overtaking Senegal (15th) and the USA (17th). IR Iran entered the top 20 at 20th.
Among the biggest movers in the top 100, Hungary (39th), Chile (51st), and China PR (91st) climbed three places each. Conversely, Serbia (41st), Mali (55th), and Benin (93rd) recorded notable drops. Outside the top 100, Lebanon (115th) and Bhutan (192nd) suffered the steepest declines.
The FIFA/Coca-Cola Men’s World Ranking will play a crucial role during the World Cup, serving as a tiebreaker to determine group standings and the best third-placed teams advancing to the Round of 32.
