Morocco leads Africa in FIFA rankings at 12th position globally with 1694.24 points. Nigeria trails at 43rd position

Key takeaways

  • Morocco leads Africa in FIFA rankings with 1694.24 points, placing 12th globally, signalling its sustained excellence on the international stage.
  • Senegal (1630.32 pts) and Egypt (1518.79 pts) are the next top African teams, ranked 19th and 32nd globally, respectively.
  • The point gap between top teams is significant: Morocco leads Nigeria (1481.35 pts) by over 210 points, reflecting performance consistency.
  • Five of Africa’s top 10 teams are from North Africa, showcasing the region’s dominance in tactical strength and international success.

FIFA uses a revised Elo rating system, adopted in 2018, to rank teams based on match results, opponent strength, and match importance. A win against a high-ranking team in a competitive fixture (like a World Cup qualifier) yields more points than beating a lower-ranked team in a friendly.

In the latest ranking, Morocco’s 1694.24 points not only place it atop African teams but also earn it the 12th global spot, reflecting its performance across high-stakes matches. Nigeria, with 1481.35 points and 43rd globally, trails significantly behind top-tier African peers, underscoring a need for more consistent results in major competitions. These rankings highlight shifting power dynamics in African football, particularly the rise of North African teams.

Source:

FIFA

Period:

May 2025
HTML code to embed chart
Want a bespoke report?
Reach out
Click to copy HTML embed code
Tags
Related Insights
Global rugby participation grew by 11% to 8.46 million players in 2023
  • Global rugby participation grew by 11% in 2023, reaching 8.46 million players.
  • Female participation increased by 37%, showing the fastest growth in the sport.
  • Male participation also rose by 26%.
  • The substantial rise in female players signals rugby’s growing inclusivity.
  • The global rise suggests rugby is gaining ground beyond traditional rugby nations.
Nigeria tops Africa’s women’s football with 1,630.83 points and ranks 36th globally
  • Nigeria leads Africa with 1,630.83 points, ranked 36th globally, maintaining their long-standing supremacy in Africa's women’s football.
  • South Africa remains second, 165 points behind Nigeria, consolidating their position after consistent WAFCON performances.
  • North Africa's breakthrough is evident with Morocco at 3rd, driven by recent World Cup appearances and continental success.
  • There is tight competition in mid-table, with Zambia, Cameroon, and Ghana separated by less than 12 points.
Nigeria holds the top spot in Africa's women's basketball rankings with 640.1 points, and is ranked 8th globally
  • Nigeria’s D’Tigress leads Africa with 640.1 points, holding 8th place in the world rankings.
  • Mali sits in second with 343.7 points, more than 290 points behind Nigeria.
  • Senegal, Mozambique, and Cameroon complete Africa’s top five, all ranked within the global top 40.
  • South Sudan enters the continental top 10 at 10th, while ranking 55th globally.
USA leads FIBA Women’s Basketball global rankings; Nigeria breaks into top 10 with 640.1 points as the only African country
  • The USA dominates the rankings with 880.9 points, holding a significant lead over second-placed Australia (719.6).
  • France and China follow closely in 3rd and 4th, separated by just 6.5 points.
  • Nigeria’s D’Tigress ranks 8th globally with 640.1 points, the highest for any African nation.
  • Brazil and Serbia round out the top 10, both under 640 points.
Nigeria claims fifth straight FIBA Women’s AfroBasket title with a total of 7 titles, second to Senegal with 11 titles
  • Nigeria now has 7 AfroBasket titles, with five consecutive wins from 2017 to 2025.
  • Senegal leads the all-time chart with 11 titles, last winning in 2015.
  • Only three countries, Senegal, Nigeria, and Congo have more than two titles.
  • Nigeria is the only team to win five consecutive titles in a row.
Nigeria’s Super Falcons have dominated WAFCON with 10 titles in 13 competitions
  • The Super Falcons have won 10 out of 13 WAFCON tournaments, a 77% win rate.
  • They have never failed to reach the semi final stage, finishing in second place once and fourth place twice.
  • The Super Eagles, by contrast, have won only 3 out of 34 AFCON tournaments.
  • The men's team has placed second 5 times and third 8 times, but failed to earn a medal in 18 editions.
  • WAFCON results show more consistency and dominance by Nigeria’s women’s team than the men’s team.
POPULAR TOPICS
SIGN UP TO OUR NEWSLETTER
Get periodic updates about the African startup space, access to our reports, among others.
Subscribe Here
Subscription Form
A product of Techpoint Africa. All rights reserved