AFCON finalists Morocco and Senegal steal limelight in January 2026 FIFA/Coca-Cola Men’s World Ranking

AFCON finalists Morocco and Senegal steal limelight in January 2026 FIFA/Coca-Cola Men’s World Ranking

• Africa Cup of Nations winners Senegal and runners-up Morocco among main movers and shakers

• Moroccans rise to all-time high of eighth

• Senegal break new ground after AFCON triumph, climbing to 12^th

The recently concluded CAF Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) has made a significant impact on the January 2026 edition of the FIFA/Coca-Cola Men’s World Ranking, with both finalists, perhaps unsurprisingly, making significant strides.

Despite suffering heartbreak in the final, hosts Morocco (8^th, up 3) can take comfort from returning to the top 10 for the first time since April 1998, reaching their best-ever position. AFCON winners Senegal (12^th, up 7), have been rewarded for reclaiming the continental crown by scaling unprecedented heights of their own, but it is as you were at the top, with Spain (1^st), FIFA world champions Argentina (2^nd), and France (3^rd) continuing to set the pace.

Morocco’s ascent has come at a cost for Croatia (11^th, down 1), who have dropped out of the top 10, as well as for Belgium (9^th, down 1) and Germany (10^th, down 1). AFCON bronze medallists Nigeria (now 26^th) and quarter-finalists Cameroon (now 45^th) each shot up an unparalleled 12 places. Additional ranking success stories served up by the African showpiece include notable rises for Algeria (28^th, up 6), semi-finalists Egypt (31^st, up 4), dethroned holders Côte d’Ivoire (37^th, up 5) and Congo DR (48^th, up 8).

Among the other talking points, Kosovo (79^th, up 1) have yet again climbed into uncharted territory, inching up on this occasion thanks to Gabon falling eight places to 86^th, whereas Costa Rica (51^st, down 2) and Uzbekistan (52^nd, also down 2) have both dropped out of the top 50.

The AFCON has also had an impact on the size of the respective confederations’ contingents in and around the upper echelons, with CAF now boasting nine nations in the top 50 – two more than at the end of 2025 – and the AFC and Concacaf having each lost one to fall to four apiece. Home to 26 of the leading 50 teams in the global pecking order, UEFA continues to dominate, while CONMEBOL once again has seven representatives inside the top 50 with OFC sides remaining absent.

The full ranking can be found on Inside FIFA.

The next edition of the FIFA/Coca-Cola Men’s World Ranking will be published on 1 April 2026.

Leaders	Spain (unchanged)
Moves into top 10	Morocco (8th, up 3)
Moves out of top 10	Croatia (11th, down 1)
Matches played in total	53
Most matches played	Egypt, Morocco, Nigeria and Senegal (7 matches each)
Biggest move by points	Nigeria (up 79.09 points)
Biggest move by ranks	Cameroon and Nigeria (up 12 ranks each)
Biggest drop by points	Gabon (down 44.97 points)
Biggest drop by ranks	Equatorial Guinea (down 8 ranks)
Newly ranked teams	None
Teams that are no longer ranked	None
Inactive teams, not ranked	Eritrea