By Victor Kanayo
Argentina and Morocco maintained their top places in the latest rankings released by FIFA on Thursday.
The rankings, which are the last for 2024, keeps Argentina as number one globally, while Morocco leads Africa’s standings.
The ranking was posted on the website of the world football governing body.
However, Nigeria maintained fifth place in Africa, behind Morocco, Senegal, Egypt, and Algeria.
Morocco are Africa’s highest-ranked team at number 14. Senegal occupy 17th, Egypt are 33rd, while Algeria are 37th.
Additionally, there were no changes in the top 10, as all the teams maintained their spots.
Just as they did in 2023, Argentina (1st) sign off the year in the top spot, with France (2nd) and Spain (3rd) joining them on the podium. As for those in the chasing pack, England (4th), Brazil (5th), Portugal (6th), the Netherlands (7th), Belgium (8th), Italy (9th), and Germany (10th) all retain their places in the upper echelons of the ranking. Indeed, that lack of movement is mirrored throughout the top 100, where there is not even the slightest bit of jostling for position.
The prize for the biggest climbers in the latest instalment of the ranking goes to Vietnam (114th, up 2). Elsewhere, Hong Kong, China (155th, up 1), have amassed the most points (4.18) in climbing up one place.
The pair aren’t the only sides to close out the year on a high, with another 10 of the 211 ranked teams also making some limited headway, rising one place to their present position: The Gambia (125th), India (126th), Solomon Islands (147th), Lesotho (149th), Singapore (160th), Cuba (163rd), St Lucia (167th), Malta (168th), American Samoa (187th), and Gibraltar (196th).
Having contested more matches than anyone else in the ranking in 2024, Angola – who lined up no fewer than 21 times – have registered the biggest climb over the past 12 months, progressing a jaw-dropping 32 places to their current perch of 85th. The Palancas Negras, who have clearly taken inspiration from the sprightly antelopes to whom they owe their nickname, are pursued most closely by Jordan (64th, up 23) and Fiji (148th, up 20) by this measure.
