Morocco becomes first Arab nation to break into FIFA's top five rankings

Morocco have risen into the top five of FIFA's men's world rankings, becoming the first Arab nation to reach that height. The team climbed two places from its previous best position of seventh, moving past Brazil and Portugal on points when the new standings were released on Sunday.

The rise makes Morocco only the second African country ever to feature in the top five, and it follows a series of strong performances in recent continental fixtures. The ranking reflects a sustained period of success for the Atlas Lions on the international stage.

Morocco also stand alone as the first African and Arab country to reach consecutive World Cup quarterfinals. On both occasions, the continent's highest-ranked side was eliminated by France, exiting at that stage in successive tournaments.

The team's finish at the 2026 World Cup in North America fell short of its celebrated run at the 2022 tournament in Qatar, where Morocco defied expectations to become the first semifinalist from Africa and the Arab world, winning admirers across the globe.

Since the World Cup, Mohamed Ouhabi's squad has kept a perfect record in the current qualifying campaign for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations. That run continued on Friday with a 5-0 rout of Niger, as Morocco's star-studded lineup impressed in front of an energetic home crowd in Rabat.

The defending AFCON champions now hold a nine-point lead at the top of Group A in qualifying.

Yet Morocco's status as continental champion remains under dispute. The title is the subject of a hearing at the Court of Arbitration for Sport after Senegal, the losing finalists, filed an appeal.

Senegal had beaten the hosts 1-0 after extra time in January's final in Rabat, but the Confederation of African Football later stripped them of the crown and declared Morocco champions. The final turned chaotic when Senegal's players left the pitch for 14 minutes in protest after a late penalty was awarded against them in regulation time, with several returning to the dressing room before play resumed. Morocco failed to convert the spot kick, and Senegal scored the winner in extra time.

Two months later, CAF's Appeal Board ruled that Senegal had forfeited the match by walking off, overturning the result and awarding Morocco a 3-0 victory. The disputed 2025 triumph gave the northwestern African nation its second AFCON title, following its first in 1976. Morocco is also set to be one of the cohost nations for the 2030 FIFA World Cup.