FIFA July Rankings: Algeria Retains Top Spot Among African Nations After World Cup
FIFA released its latest world rankings on Thursday, marking the first update since the conclusion of the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. Despite the global tournament’s high drama, the standings for African nations remain relatively stable, with Algeria holding firm as the continent’s top-ranked team.
The North African side, who have overtaken Ivory Coast since May, sit 24th in the global rankings. The Elephants of Ivory Coast follow closely behind, placed second in Africa and 25th worldwide.
Nigeria’s Super Eagles enjoyed a notable rise, climbing ten places to 34th after their strong showing at the World Cup, securing the third spot among African countries. Egypt is ranked fourth on the continent and 36th globally, with Ghana rounding out the African top five at 38th.
Tunisia maintains sixth place in Africa and 42nd in the world, followed by Guinea (57th). Cameroon, despite an underwhelming World Cup campaign, improved its position by three places, now 53rd globally and eighth in Africa. Burkina Faso and Mali complete the African top ten at 58th and 60th respectively.
One of the biggest movers is Cape Verde, which suffered a significant drop of 36 places to 75th in the world, now 15th in Africa, after losing valuable ranking points.
On the global stage, Germany tops the rankings, followed by Argentina and the Netherlands. France also made impressive gains following their World Cup performance.
Africa’s Top 20 in FIFA Rankings (July 2014):
Algeria (24th)
Ivory Coast (25th)
Nigeria (34th)
Egypt (36th)
Ghana (38th)
Tunisia (42nd)
Guinea (57th)
Cameroon (53rd)
Burkina Faso (58th)
Mali (60th)
Senegal (62nd)
Libya (63rd)
Sierra Leone (64th)
South Africa (66th)
Cape Verde (75th)
Zambia (77th)
Morocco (79th)
Angola (79th)
Congo (82nd)
Uganda (87th)
