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Morocco equal Nigeria’s FIFA ranking record after reaching world top five
Morocco have matched Nigeria’s highest-ever position in the FIFA men’s world rankings after moving up to fifth.
The Atlas Lions climbed above Brazil, who dropped below them after being held to a 1-1 draw by Australia. Morocco’s new position means they have equalled the highest ranking ever achieved by an African national team.
Nigeria reached fifth in April 1994, during one of the strongest periods in the country’s football history. The Super Eagles won the Africa Cup of Nations that year before making their World Cup debut in the United States.
Nigeria then reached the last 16 of the World Cup, where they were beaten 2-1 by eventual finalists Italy after extra time.
It has taken 32 years for another African country to reach the same level, with Morocco’s rise coming as Nigerian football faces a contrasting period following the Super Eagles’ 3-0 defeat by Guinea-Bissau in their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier on Tuesday.
Morocco’s rise in the rankings
Morocco’s fifth-place position is based on FIFA’s live ranking and will remain unofficial until all matches from the latest international window have been approved.
The previous official FIFA ranking, published on July 20, placed Morocco sixth. The next official rankings are due to be released on October 7.
Morocco moved ahead of Brazil after the five-time world champions lost ranking points following their draw with Australia. The Atlas Lions currently have 1,803.99 points in the live calculation, compared with Brazil’s 1,802.90.
The achievement continues a significant period for Moroccan football. Morocco became the first African team to reach a World Cup semi-final in 2022, before progressing to the quarter-finals at the 2026 World Cup.
Nigeria had held the record for the highest African FIFA ranking position on its own for more than three decades. Morocco’s move into fifth has now ended that distinction.
Nigeria’s difficult start
The Super Eagles began the latest international window ranked 26th in the world, while Guinea-Bissau were 132nd.
Nigeria won their opening match against Madagascar but then suffered a 3-0 loss away to Guinea-Bissau. That result left Guinea-Bissau top of Group L with six points from two games.
The defeat did not directly cause Morocco to rise to fifth. Morocco’s position was secured by Brazil’s draw with Australia. However, Nigeria’s result provides an uncomfortable backdrop as Morocco joins the Super Eagles in a place in FIFA’s ranking history that Nigeria had occupied alone since 1994.
Morocco’s depth of talent could allow the Atlas Lions to remain a dominant force in African football for a long time. For Nigeria, however, the current state of the game is described as being in disarray, with a shortage of top talent making the Super Eagles’ future difficult to predict.