After the excitement of the final, Morocco and Senegal make history in the FIFA rankings

Morocco and Senegal have made history in the latest FIFA rankings following a thrilling African Cup of Nations (AFCON) tournament, which saw Morocco narrowly miss out on the continental crown after nearly 50 years. Despite falling short in the final, Morocco’s “Atlas Lions” received a remarkable boost in the global standings.

According to the most recent rankings, released yesterday, Morocco climbed three places to reach 8th position, marking their highest-ever FIFA ranking. Previously, the team’s best standing had been 10th, achieved in April 1998. This milestone comes on the heels of Morocco’s remarkable performance in the 2022 FIFA World Cup, where they reached the semifinals for the first time in history.

Senegal, champions of AFCON for the second time, also enjoyed a significant rise in the rankings. The team led by Sadio Mané improved by seven places, reaching 12th globally—the highest position in the nation’s history. Before this update, Senegal’s peak ranking had been 17th in 2024.

While these achievements are historic for both nations, Africa’s highest-ever FIFA ranking remains with Nigeria, who reached 5th place in April 1994. Among Arab nations, Egypt achieved the highest position by reaching 9th in July 2010.

AFCON 2024 has had a pronounced impact on the rankings of several African teams: Nigeria, who secured the bronze medal, gained the most points on the continent, earning 79.09 points and jumping 12 places to 26th. Cameroon also improved by 12 positions, rising to 45th. Conversely, Gabon suffered the largest points loss, dropping 44.97 points and falling to 86th after an early exit in the group stage. Guinea experienced the steepest drop in positions, slipping ten places to 107th. Egypt, semifinalists in the tournament, rose four positions to 31st, now three places behind Algeria.

At the very top of the global rankings, there were no changes among the top seven teams. Spain remains number one, followed by Argentina, France, England, Brazil, Portugal, and the Netherlands.

AFCON Impact on FIFA Rankings – Key Teams

AFCON 2024 has thus not only crowned a continental champion but also reshaped the landscape of African football on the global stage, with Morocco and Senegal setting new benchmarks for their nations.