Although hosts Morocco (8th, up 3) faced disappointment in the final, they can take pride in returning to the top 10 for the first time since April 1998, achieving their highest-ever ranking. AFCON champions Senegal (12th, up 7) have also celebrated significant success, climbing to unprecedented heights after reclaiming the continental title, while the top three remain unchanged, with Spain (1st), reigning FIFA world champions Argentina (2nd), and France (3rd) continuing to lead the pack.
Morocco’s rise has resulted in a setback for Croatia (11th, down 1), who has fallen out of the top 10, alongside Belgium (9th, down 1) and Germany (10th, down 1). AFCON bronze medallists Nigeria (now 26th) and quarter-finalists Cameroon (now 45th) each surged an astonishing 12 places. Additional ranking success stories from the African tournament include significant increases for Algeria (28th, up 6), semi-finalists Egypt (31st, up 4), dethroned champions Côte d’Ivoire (37th, up 5), and Congo DR (48th, up 8).
In other noteworthy developments, Kosovo (79th, up 1) has once again achieved a record rank, thanks in part to Gabon’s decline of eight places to 86th. Meanwhile, both Costa Rica (51st, down 2) and Uzbekistan (52nd, down 2) have dropped out of the top 50.
The AFCON has also affected the representation of respective confederations in the top tier, with CAF now featuring nine nations in the top 50—two more than at the end of 2025—while both the AFC and Concacaf have each lost one, bringing them down to four. UEFA remains dominant, housing 26 of the leading 50 teams globally, while CONMEBOL has seven representatives within the top 50, and OFC teams continue to be absent.
