FIFA RANKINGS SHAKE UP WORLD FOOTBALL
The final FIFA Men’s World Rankings of 2025 were released this week, giving football fans a clear snapshot of how the game’s national teams stack up just months before the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
There’s not been a huge shake-up at the very top, but the standings still tell an intriguing story, especially for African teams.
Spain has ended 2025 as the world’s top-ranked team, reclaiming the No. 1 spot from Argentina and holding firm ahead of the 2026 World Cup cycle.
Behind them in the global top 5 are Argentina, France, England and Brazil, with little movement among the elite football nations compared to earlier in the year.
When you look deeper into the top 50, the United States have risen to 14th place, jumping ahead of Mexico, who slip to 15th. Canada is steady at 27th, pretty solid news for the North American hosts gearing up for the tournament next summer.
For Africa, Morocco finishes 2025 as the continent’s highest-ranked team, sitting impressively in 11th worldwide after an excellent run of results and a FIFA Arab Cup triumph.
They’re tantalisingly close to snapping back into the top 10 with their best position in nearly three decades. Senegal follows in 19th, while Algeria (34th), Egypt (35th) and Nigeria (38th) round out Africa’s top five.
Other African nations in the top 50 include Tunisia (41st) and the Ivory Coast (42nd), showing the continent’s depth is continuing to grow.
Image credit: Qatar Tribune