Morocco achieves Africa's best fifa ranking since 1994: latest rankings

• Morocco have climbed to 5th in the FIFA rankings, moving ahead of Brazil.

• The Atlas Lions have matched Nigeria’s record of reaching 5th place in 1994, the highest position achieved by an African team.

• Morocco’s rise continues their strong progress on the international stage after their recent World Cup success.

Morocco have moved above Brazil into fifth place in the FIFA men’s world rankings, matching Nigeria’s record for the highest position ever reached by an African national team.

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The Atlas Lions made the historic jump in the live FIFA rankings after Brazil were held to a 1-1 draw by Australia in an international friendly on Friday, September 25, 2026.

Before the latest movement, Brazil were fifth with 1,804.92 points, while Morocco were sixth on 1,803.99 points. Brazil’s draw with Australia saw their points drop to around 1,802.90, allowing Morocco to move into fifth.

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The position puts Morocco level with a record held by Nigeria, who reached fifth in the FIFA world rankings in April 1994. The achievement justifies Morocco’s upward trajectory among the world’s leading national teams.

Morocco had already reached a then-record sixth position in the official FIFA rankings published on July 20, 2026, following their run to the quarter-finals of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. They defeated Canada 3-0 in the last 16 before losing 2-0 to France in the quarter-finals.

Their progress follows a historic breakthrough at the 2022 World Cup, when Morocco became the first African nation to reach the semi-finals.

The Atlas Lions also began their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign on a positive note on Friday, beating Gabon 2-0 in Rabat. Noussair Mazraoui opened the scoring in the 36th minute before Soufiane Rahimi added a second in the 84th minute.

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Despite the move above Brazil, FIFA states that the live ranking remains unofficial until the relevant matches are approved as international 'A' matches. The last official ranking was released on July 20, with the next official update scheduled for October 7, 2026.

Morocco have therefore become only the second African nation to reach fifth in the FIFA men’s world ranking, equalling a milestone Nigeria set more than three decades ago.

Ghana is scheduled to face the Atlas Lions on October 4 in an international friendly