The latest FIFA rankings have highlighted the pecking order of African football ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, with Morocco maintaining their status as the continent’s highest-ranked nation while Ghana find themselves further down the list in 14th position.
Morocco, who made history by reaching the semi-finals of the 2022 World Cup, are currently ranked seventh in the world and remain Africa’s number one team. Senegal occupy second place on the continent and sit 14th globally, continuing to establish themselves as one of Africa’s most consistent sides.
Egypt, led by Liverpool star Mohamed Salah, are ranked fourth in Africa and 28th in the world, narrowly ahead of Algeria, who are fifth on the continent and 29th globally.
Ivory Coast occupy sixth place in Africa and are ranked 34th worldwide, while DR Congo and Tunisia continue to climb the continental ladder in eighth and ninth positions respectively.
Mali, South Africa and Cape Verde also feature ahead of Ghana, reflecting the growing competitiveness of African football heading into the World Cup.
For Ghana, the ranking serves as a reminder of the work still needed to return to the summit of African football. The Black Stars are ranked 73rd globally and 14th in Africa despite securing qualification for the 2026 World Cup.
However, rankings rarely tell the full story. Ghana remain one of Africa’s most successful football nations, having won four Africa Cup of Nations titles and produced memorable World Cup performances, including a historic quarter-final appearance in 2010.
The Black Stars will be hoping to use the World Cup as an opportunity to improve their standing and prove they can compete with the continent’s highest-ranked nations. Under head coach Carlos Queiroz, the team is preparing for a challenging Group L campaign against England, Croatia and Panama.
