Brazil stumble opens route for Morocco to reach FIFA’s world top five

Morocco have moved up to sixth in the FIFA men’s world rankings after Brazil’s surprise defeat by Japan gave the Atlas Lions a chance to climb into the top five.

The change follows Morocco’s 5-0 victory over Niger on Friday in the third round of qualifying for the Africa Cup of Nations 2027. That result lifted Morocco one place to sixth, with 1,805 points.

Brazil’s three-goal defeat by Japan saw them drop to seventh on 1,800 points, allowing Morocco to move above them in the latest calculations.

Morocco have another opportunity to strengthen their position when they face Niger again on Tuesday at the Moulay Abdellah Stadium. Head coach Mohamed Wahbi’s side will be seeking a second successive win over the same opponents, which would provide a further boost to their world ranking.

A victory would improve Morocco’s position without them needing to rely on the result of Brazil’s friendly against Singapore.

Attention will also be focused on Portugal’s meeting with Denmark on Saturday night in the fifth and penultimate round of the Nations League group stage. The fixture could have a direct impact on the rankings because Morocco and Portugal are separated by only half a point in the current FIFA calculations.

If Portugal fail to win, they would drop to sixth while Morocco would rise to fifth, securing a place among the world’s top five men’s national teams.

Morocco reached fifth in the FIFA rankings in October 2026, matching Nigeria’s record for the highest position achieved by an African nation. Nigeria first reached that position in April 1994.

The latest progress follows Morocco’s victories in September and October, when they defeated Gabon in the opening round of Africa Cup of Nations 2027 qualifying before beating Lesotho in the second round.

Morocco’s rise since Qatar 2022

Before the World Cup in Qatar, Morocco were ranked 22nd in the world. Their run at Qatar 2022 lifted them to 11th by the end of the tournament.

They subsequently fell as low as 14th, which was their final position in 2024, before climbing back to 11th at the end of 2025. Morocco then reached eighth in January 2026.

That was the first time they had entered the top 10 of the FIFA rankings since April 1998, when they were ranked 10th.

Their rise to fifth would equal the best-ever ranking achieved by an African team and underline the progress made since their historic World Cup campaign in Qatar.