Morocco climb back to fifth in latest FIFA rankings

Morocco have returned to fifth place in the FIFA rankings after a 5-1 victory over Niger and defeats for Brazil and Portugal.

The Atlas Lions moved up from seventh on Saturday after their emphatic win in Casablanca on Friday in the third round of qualifying for CAN 2027. Achraf Hakimi was central to the result, scoring twice and providing an assist.

Morocco initially overtook Brazil, who were beaten by Japan earlier on Saturday. Their position improved again later in the evening when Portugal lost to Denmark.

The ranking remains subject to change until the international window is complete. Morocco will be hoping to hold on to fifth place after reaching the top five for the first time in their history, and in the history of an African national team, during the previous international break.

That achievement lasted only nine days. A 1-1 draw with Mali in a friendly on 4 October contributed to Morocco’s fall, while Brazil recovered with victories over Australia and India. Portugal also enjoyed a perfect run of results during the same period.

Morocco subsequently dropped one place below the position they had occupied after the 2026 World Cup, where they reached the quarter-finals for the second successive time. They finished sixth at that tournament.

A further victory over Niger on Tuesday in Rabat, in the fourth round of qualifying, would strengthen Morocco’s hold on fifth place. A convincing scoreline would provide additional security, and the outcome would remain unaffected by Brazil’s match against Singapore or Portugal’s meeting with Wales.

The FIFA rankings are updated in real time during the international window, but will be finalised and published on 18 November, after the FIFA international match period has ended.

For Mohamed Ouahbi and his players, the immediate task is therefore clear: preserve the position they have recovered, with the return match against Niger offering Morocco the chance to reinforce their status among the world’s top five teams.