In the African context, Nigeria holds the fifth spot, trailing behind Morocco, Senegal, Egypt, and Algeria. Morocco is ranked highest among African nations at 11th globally, while Senegal follows at 19th. Algeria and Egypt are positioned at 34th and 35th, respectively. Other notable African teams in the top 10 include Tunisia (41st), Côte d’Ivoire (42nd), Mali (53rd), DR Congo (56th), and Cameroon (57th).

On the global stage, Spain has retaken the top ranking from Argentina, followed by France in third place, with England, Brazil, Portugal, the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, and Croatia completing the top 10, showing no changes from the previous list. The December rankings were released after the FIFA Arab Cup Qatar 2025, which saw Morocco come close to breaking into the top 10, only trailing Croatia by 0.54 points.

Standout performances from the year include Kosovo, which climbed 19 spots to 80th following seven wins and two draws in ten matches. Norway and Suriname also made significant advances in their rankings. Meanwhile, Nigeria’s current rank underscores a need for improvement during the ongoing AFCON 2025 to enhance their competitive standing.