
Morocco Climbs Two Places to 12th in FIFA World Rankings
Meknes – Morocco's Atlas Lions ranked as the 12th-ranked team in the latest FIFA World Rankings published today, climbing two places following recent successful international matches.
The Moroccan national football team earned a well-deserved 6.06 additional points following victories against Niger and Tanzania, bringing their April ranking total to 1,694.24 points. Morocco's ascent comes as it capitalized on setbacks experienced by Uruguay and Colombia, both of which dropped two positions in the latest rankings.
In the African continent, Morocco continues to lead in the rankings, maintaining its 1st position for the fourth year in a row, ahead of Senegal, which slipped to 19th globally with 1,630.32 points. Egypt holds the third position among African nations and ranks 32nd worldwide with 1,518.79 points.
The other African teams are ranked as follows: Algeria (36th), Côte d'Ivoire (41st), Nigeria (43rd), Tunisia (49th), Cameroon (50th), Mali (53rd), South Africa (56th), and Congo DR (61st).
At the global level, the podium has changed slightly. While Argentina maintains its position at the top of the FIFA rankings with 1886.16 points, Spain has moved up one spot to second place, thanks to their boost by 1.37 points, taking advantage of France's misstep in Croatia to claim the runner-up position. Despite this setback, France remains on the podium in third place with 1852.71 points, closely followed by England in fourth.
Brazil completes the top five, while the Netherlands has climbed one position to sixth, overtaking Portugal, which now sits seventh. Belgium (8th), Italy (9th), and Germany (10th) have maintained their positions in the top ten.
Read also: Brahim Diaz: 'I Can't Wait to Play AFCON in Morocco'
Meanwhile, the Atlas Lionesses climbed one place in FIFA's latest rankings, published on March 6. The team jumped to 60th globally, up from their previous 61st position in December 2024.
Despite periods of stability in the FIFA rankings, expectations remain elevated for both Morocco's men's and women's national football teams as they aim for significant achievements in 2025.
The upcoming calendar year features several pivotal tournaments for Moroccan football, most notably the men's and women's Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) competitions, both of which will be hosted on home soil, a home advantage that adds to the growing optimism surrounding Morocco's football prospects.
Looking further ahead, Morocco will also serve as the host nation for the men's 2025 AFCON between December 21, 2025, and January 18, 2026, and the women's tournament between July 5 and 26, 2025.
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