The January 2026 FIFA/Coca-Cola Men’s World Ranking saw major movements following the recent CAF Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), with finalists Senegal and Morocco among the biggest gainers.
Morocco rose three places to 8th, marking their highest-ever ranking and a return to the top 10 for the first time since 1998. Senegal, AFCON champions, climbed seven places to 12th, reaching a new career-high in the rankings.
Other African nations also made impressive gains: Nigeria (26th, up 12), Cameroon (45th, up 12), Algeria (28th, up 6), Egypt (31st, up 4), Côte d’Ivoire (37th, up 5), and Congo DR (48th, up 8).
Meanwhile, the rise of Morocco affected other top 10 teams, with Croatia dropping to 11th, Belgium to 9th, and Germany to 10th. Kosovo rose to 79th, while Gabon fell eight places to 86th. Costa Rica (51st) and Uzbekistan (52nd) also dropped out of the top 50.
CAF now has nine nations in the top 50, up from seven, while AFC and CONCACAF each dropped to four. UEFA continues to dominate with 26 teams, CONMEBOL has seven, and OFC has no representation.
The top three remain unchanged Spain (1st), Argentina (2nd), and France (3rd).
