Black Stars hold their ground as Africa’s power shift reshapes FIFA rankings

Ghana’s Black Stars have opened 2026 without movement in the latest FIFA Men’s World Rankings, holding firm at the positions they occupied at the close of last year.

In the update published on January 19, Ghana remain 72nd in the world and 14th in Africa, a reflection of a quiet but stable phase for the four-time African champions. With a rebuilding process still underway, the unchanged ranking suggests consolidation rather than regression as the Black Stars gear up for a demanding international calendar.

Attention now turns to the road ahead, with the 2026 FIFA World Cup, set to be jointly hosted by Mexico, Canada and the United States, looming ever larger. Ghana’s immediate focus will be on sharpening their competitiveness ahead of crucial qualifiers and high-profile tests.

Across the continent, however, the rankings told a story of momentum and shifting power.

Morocco emerged as one of the biggest movers globally. Despite falling short in the Africa Cup of Nations final, the Atlas Lions climbed three places to eighth in the world, their highest ranking ever and a return to the global top ten for the first time since April 1998. Their rise came at the expense of Belgium, Croatia and Germany, all of whom slipped a place.

Freshly crowned AFCON champions Senegal also made a powerful statement. The Teranga Lions surged seven places to 12th worldwide, a leap that underlines the authority of their continental triumph and marks the best FIFA ranking in the nation’s history.

At the very top of the global standings, Spain continue to set the pace, with Argentina, France and England rounding out the top four as the international order continues to evolve in the early months of the year.

Africa’s Top 20 in the latest FIFA Rankings

1. Morocco – 8
2. Senegal – 12
3. Nigeria – 26
4. Algeria – 28
5. Egypt – 31
6. Ivory Coast – 37
7. Cameroon – 45
8. Tunisia – 47
9. DR Congo – 48
10. Mali – 54
11. South Africa – 60
12. Burkina Faso – 62
13. Cape Verde – 67
14. Ghana – 72
15. Guinea – 80
16. Gabon – 86
17. Uganda – 88
18. Angola – 89
19. Zambia – 91
20. Benin – 92

For Ghana, the next marker in their 2026 journey comes in March, when the Black Stars are set to regroup for a high-profile international friendly against Germany in Stuttgart, a fixture that will offer a stern measure of their progress on the global stage.