Liberia has dropped six places to 149th in FIFA’s latest global rankings, following consecutive losses in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers. The decline marks a notable setback for the Lone Star, now ranked 44th among African nations, a dip from their previous 143rd position in September.
Liberia’s recent slide in the rankings follows a string of disappointing performances in the AFCON qualifiers.
The team’s ranking initially rose after a promising 1-1 draw away to Togo, but a 3-0 home defeat to Algeria, compounded by consecutive losses to Equatorial Guinea, contributed to their fall in the standings.
The poor results have also led to significant changes in the team’s leadership, with head coach Mario Marinica stepping down and Thomas Kojo taking over as interim head coach.
Kojo, who nearly led Liberia to the 2019 AFCON finals, will begin his interim role this month in a qualifying match against Sierra Leone for the African Nations Championship.
The game presents Kojo with an opportunity to reverse the team’s recent fortunes and potentially improve Liberia’s ranking in future updates.
His appointment has sparked hopes that his experience and knowledge of the team can help stabilize Liberia’s football ambitions amid the AFCON qualifiers.
Meanwhile, several other African teams have made notable progress in the rankings.
Morocco, Africa’s top-ranked team, has risen one spot to 13th globally, maintaining a firm grip on the top position on the continent.
Senegal and Egypt round out Africa’s top three ranked nations, underscoring the continued strength of North and West African teams in international football.
Elsewhere, Comoros and Sudan saw some of the biggest improvements, both climbing 10 places in the October rankings.
Comoros is now ranked 108th following impressive home and away victories over Tunisia in the AFCON qualifiers, while Sudan’s wins over Ghana have propelled them to 110th.
These gains reflect strong performances by both nations and hint at a shifting competitive landscape within African football.
On the global leaderboard, Argentina continues to hold the top spot, though its lead over France, now ranked second, has narrowed.
Spain remains in third place, followed by England in fourth and Brazil in fifth, with Belgium retaining sixth place.
Portugal and Italy each rose by one spot to seventh and ninth, respectively, while the Netherlands fell to eighth.
Rounding out the top 10, Colombia dropped to 10th, while Germany climbed two positions to reach 11th, just outside the global elite.
FIFA’s updated rankings underscore the dynamic nature of international football, where a single win or loss can have immediate impacts on a nation’s standing.
As Liberia prepares for upcoming matches under new leadership, the team’s fans will be hoping for improved performances and a swift return to a higher ranking position.
