Portugal are the standout movers in the upper reaches of the latest FIFA/Coca-Cola Men's World Ranking, climbing two places to fifth after leapfrogging both Brazil and Morocco in the October update.

World champions Spain continue to dominate at the summit, extending their advantage over second-placed Argentina — beaten finalists at the FIFA World Cup 2026 — to nearly 40 points. France hold third, rounding out the podium positions unchanged.

Portugal surge past Brazil and Morocco

Portugal's rise to fifth comes on the back of a four-match winning streak in the UEFA Nations League. Brazil drop one place to sixth and Morocco fall to seventh as a result, while Spain and Switzerland have also opened their Nations League campaigns with four consecutive victories.

Switzerland are another eye-catching mover, climbing two spots to 12th by overtaking Germany (now 13th) and Croatia (now 14th), who each slipped one position in the updated standings.

African sides Mali and South Africa break into top 50

Two African nations made significant strides in this edition. Mali climbed six places to 47th and South Africa rose six spots to 48th, with both sides benefitting from strong CAF Africa Cup of Nations 2027 qualifying results. Greece also impressed, moving up five places to 41st after going four games without defeat.

The gains by Mali and South Africa have boosted CAF's representation in the top 50 to 10 teams, narrowing the gap on UEFA's 24 representatives and CONMEBOL's eight. Czechia (51st) and Peru (53rd) both dropped out of the top 50 following three-place falls.

Rwanda, Gambia, and Mozambique climb lower down

Further down the standings, Africa Cup of Nations qualifying results fuelled several notable rises. Rwanda moved up nine places to 119th, Guinea-Bissau climbed eight to 124th, The Gambia rose seven to 109th, Botswana gained six spots to reach 141st, and Mozambique moved up five places to 98th.

Elsewhere around the globe, the Dominican Republic (135th, up 9), Guyana (142nd, up 8), Northern Ireland (64th, up 6), Estonia (122nd, up 5), and Barbados (174th, up 5) all recorded impressive advances, driven largely by Nations League wins.

A total of 338 men's internationals have been played since the FIFA World Cup 2026 concluded on 19 July. The next FIFA/Coca-Cola Men's World Ranking will be published on 18 November 2026.