Brazil top world rankings, Nigeria remains Africa’s fifth best, as FIFA release new rankings
World’s football governing body, FIFA have released the updated rankings table with Brazil topping the list, despite not wining the just-concluded 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
According to the FIFA rankings, newly-crowned world champions Argentina are 2nd, while Spain drops to 10th despite being knocked out in the World Cup quarter finals by Morocco.
Meanwhile, Africa’s pride Morocco, who have gone up 11 places compared to the last rankings, are closing in on the Top 10, and have become the side who have gone up the most.
The main drop in terms of amount of places were Canada, who fell by 12, leaving Qatar without getting any points, scoring two goals and conceding seven.
According to FIFA, that if Argentina had beaten France in normal time or in extra-time during the final match, they would have shot to the top of the rankings.
Other big names dropping down were Belgium (who went out at the group stages), and Italy, who did not qualify for Qatar 2022. They both dropped two spots.
‘Top10’ FIFA rankings:
1. Brazil: 1.840,77 points
2. Argentina: 1.838,38 points
3. France: 1.823,39 points
4. Belgium: 1.781,30 points
5. England: 1.774,19 points
6. Netherlands: 1.740,92 points
7. Croatia: 1.727,52 points
8. Italy: 1.723,56 points
9. Portugal: 1.702,54 points
10. Spain: 1.692,71. Points
Meanwhile, Nigeria’s senior national men’s team, the Super Eagles have finished 2022 as the fifth best on the African continent in the latest and last FIFA ranking for the year.
In the November 2022 FIFA ranking released on Thursday, the three-time African champions are now 35th in the global pecking order.
Morocco are the number team in Africa and 11th in the World. Senegal at 19th, Tunisia at 30th, and Cameroon at 33rd complete the continent’s first five.
Overall, Brazil retained the top spot despite crashing out of the World Cup in the quarter-finals. They are followed by Argentina who claimed their third world title on Sunday. Runners-up France are back in third while Belgium and France complete the top five position.
Nigeria began the year placing 3rd on the continent and 32nd on the world stage. But a string of poor results saw the West Africans’ fortunes plummet.
The Super Eagles surrendered the 2022 World Cup ticket to rivals Ghana on the away goal rules playing a goalless draw in the first leg of the playoff away before the Black Stars forced them to a 1-1 stalemate in the March double-header in Abuja.
That World Cup disappointment was followed up by a ray of hope as Nigeria recorded its biggest win in football with a 10-0 trouncing of minnows Sao Tome and Principe in June under new coach Jose Peseiro in an AFCON 2023 qualifier.
However, losses to Portugal (4-0) Costa Rica, Algeria, Mexico, and Ecuador in friendly games, meant the Super Eagles had one of their worst years on record.
