Morocco FIFA Ranking History: Highest, Lowest and Ranking Record

Morocco’s FIFA ranking has spanned two extremes. The federation’s lowest point came on 15 September 2010, at 95th, following a collapse in World Cup qualifying. Its highest came on 20 July 2026, reaching 6th with 1,803.99 points, fueled by a 2026 World Cup quarterfinal run and an AFCON final appearance earlier that year. That 111-place swing reflects steady rebuilding through youth development. The full timeline reveals exactly how that turnaround unfolded.

Morocco’s FIFA Ranking at a Glance

Few national teams have experienced as dramatic a ranking swing as Morocco’s men’s side, whose FIFA World Ranking history stretches from a historic low of 95th in September 2010 to a record high inside the top 10 in 2026. The Morocco FIFA ranking reflects decades of fluctuation, decline and revival. Morocco’s highest FIFA ranking reached 8th in January 2026, with unofficial live tables briefly showing 5th. Morocco’s current FIFA ranking sits within the top ten as of mid-2026. This surge coincided with Morocco’s run to the 2022 World Cup semi-final, the first African and Arab team to achieve that feat. That historic run also marked Morocco’s best World Cup finish in the tournament’s history, cementing its rise up the rankings.

What Is Morocco’s Current FIFA Ranking?

That top-ten standing referenced above has a precise figure attached to it.

As of the 20 July 2026 update, the Morocco FIFA ranking sits at 6th in the world, with 1803.99 points.

That places the team just behind Brazil and marks Morocco’s highest FIFA ranking on record.

The Morocco world ranking now leads Africa and the Arab world, a position built on a quarterfinal run at the 2026 World Cup. This rise reflects years of investment in youth academies that have systematically developed homegrown talent.

FIFA lists the next update for 7 October 2026, meaning this figure will stand as the official mark until then. This update also confirmed Morocco as the biggest climber among all ranked nations.

What Is Morocco’s Highest-Ever FIFA Ranking?

How high can a national team climb before it stops being a surprise and starts being a trend? Morocco fifa ranking history answers that question in July 2026, when the Atlas Lions fifa ranking reached 6th place, its highest-ever fifa ranking since 1993.

That mark followed a quarter-final run at the 2026 World Cup and built on an earlier peak of 8th in January 2026 after reaching the AFCON final, a run that ended in a loss to Senegal in Rabat. Morocco is represented internationally by the Royal Moroccan Football Federation, the governing body responsible for the national team’s development and competitions.

Before this era, Morocco’s best had been 10th, set in April 1998. The climb from 10th to 8th to 6th shows steady, not sudden, progress.

What Is Morocco’s Lowest FIFA Ranking?

Every historical record has two ends, and Morocco fifa ranking history also includes a low point far removed from the 6th-place peak of 2026. Morocco’s lowest FIFA ranking came on September 15, 2010, when the team fell to 95th place with just 330 points.

Early that year, Morocco sat in the mid-60s, making the drop sudden rather than gradual. By November, the side climbed back into the 70s and 80s. This period marked the weakest stretch in Morocco national team ranking history, an 85-place fall from its late-1990s peak, showing how far Moroccan football had slipped before its later recovery, a struggle also reflected in its disappointing performances during World Cup qualifying campaigns of that era. By contrast, Morocco’s most recent ranking showed a marked improvement, reaching #22 with 1563.5 points on October 6, 2022.

Morocco’s FIFA Ranking History by Era

Morocco’s FIFA ranking history breaks down into distinct eras, each reflecting the team’s shifting fortunes on the pitch.

The 1990s brought an early peak, with Morocco climbing to 10th in April 1998.

The 2000s saw a steady decline into the 30s, 40s and 60s, setting the stage for the 2010s, when Morocco hit its all-time low before beginning a slow climb back toward relevance. This period also saw Morocco make steady appearances in the Africa Cup of Nations, helping build the foundation for their later resurgence. By December 2021, Morocco had climbed back to #28 in the world rankings.

The 1990s

Throughout the 1990s, Morocco’s FIFA World Ranking told a story of gradual rebuilding, brief peaks and continental competitiveness rather than one of uninterrupted success. The morocco football ranking moved between the high 30s and low teens, dipping to 38th in 1995 before climbing sharply. This annual ranking data has since been tracked on a site called en.fifaranking.net.

The 2000s

A decade that opened with quiet promise ended in one of the steepest declines in the team’s ranking history. Morocco began the 2000s at 28th, holding steady in the low‑to‑mid 30s through 2004.

A mid-decade plateau followed, with rankings settling between 36th and 41st from 2005 to 2008. By 2009, sustained qualification failures pushed Morocco down to 67th, foreshadowing the record-low 95th ranking of September 2010. This slide continued into the following year, with Morocco recovering only slightly to 79th in 2010.

That collapse stands in sharp contrast to today’s picture, where morocco ranking 2026 and morocco post 2022 ranking figures show a program transformed after its historic World Cup semifinal run.

The 2010s

Following the collapse of September 2010, the national team spent much of the early 2010s searching for stability rather than climbing back toward its former heights. Year-end rankings hovered between 73rd and 81st through 2015, with 2014 dipping to 81st. This period marked the decade’s low point, echoing the all-time nadir of 95th recorded in September 2010.

Recovery began around 2016, when the ranking improved to 57th. Progress continued through 2017 and 2018, both closing at 40th, before settling at 43rd in 2019. This late-decade surge placed Morocco roughly 30 to 40 places higher than its early-2010s trough. For comparison, the top of the rankings during this era was dominated by powerhouses such as Brazil, who sat well clear of most national teams.

The Ranking Surge After the 2022 World Cup

By the end of 2022, Morocco’s national team had rewritten its own ranking history. Starting the year 28th, the squad climbed steadily, sitting 22nd that October before its historic World Cup run began.

Reaching the semifinals in Qatar, the first African team to do so, added significant points under FIFA’s system, which rewards results in major tournaments more heavily than friendlies. This achievement built upon a foundation of strong continental performances, including deep runs in their AFCON qualifying campaigns. By December, Morocco stood 11th, just one place below its 1998 peak. This surge came after a new model for calculating rankings took effect in August 2018, following a long period of testing and analysis.

FIFA named it the year’s biggest climber, citing a 142.42-point gain, the largest of any nation and the sharpest single-year rise in the team’s history.

How Morocco’s Ranking Developed Through 2025 and 2026

Throughout 2025, Morocco’s ranking settled into a steady climb rather than a dramatic leap. Starting the year 14th, the team rose to 12th by April and reached 11th in September, briefly slipping back before ending December at 11th with 1,716.34 points. The Arab Cup title in Qatar, won with five wins and one draw, added 3.22 points and pushed Morocco to the edge of the top 10 for the first time since 1998.

In January 2026, Morocco broke through to 8th, its highest-ever ranking, despite losing the Africa Cup of Nations final. Morocco opened the home-turf AFCON tournament with a 2-0 win over Comoros, featuring goals from Brahim Diaz and Ayoub El Kaabi. Morocco’s players are widely known as the Atlas Lions, a nickname inspired by the Atlas Mountains and the now-extinct Atlas lion once native to the region.

Morocco’s Ranking Among African National Teams

Morocco’s climb into the global top 10 carries added weight when placed against its continental rivals. Since October 2023, Morocco has held the top spot in Africa, a position it has never relinquished through mid-2026. Senegal, Egypt, Nigeria, Algeria and Ivory Coast have all trailed behind in successive FIFA releases. This continental dominance reflects the development work overseen by the Royal Moroccan Football Federation, which governs the national team and football growth across the country.

What Results Have the Biggest Effect on Morocco’s Ranking?

Not every match carries the same weight in the FIFA ranking formula, and understanding which results matter most explains why certain years produced dramatic climbs while others saw little change.

World Cup knockout wins carry the highest importance factor and the largest point swings, with no penalty for losses at that stage. Morocco’s 2022 quarter-final and semi-final victories added roughly 142 points in twelve months, lifting the team 17 places.

Strong group-stage results against higher-ranked opponents also matter, as does deep progress in continental championships, where quarter-finals and beyond carry significant, though slightly smaller, influence. Even shootout outcomes have shaped Morocco’s ranking trajectory, as the team’s penalty shootout history in major tournaments has repeatedly influenced points earned during knockout progression.

How the FIFA Men’s World Ranking Works

At its core, the FIFA Men’s World Ranking is a running points total for each national team, recalculated after every recognized international match rather than reshuffled on a fixed schedule.

Since 2018, FIFA has used an Elo-based system: points rise or fall based on the result, the opponent’s strength, and the match’s importance. A World Cup knockout win moves the needle far more than a friendly.

Draws and losses against weaker sides can cost points, while upsets against higher-ranked teams pay off handsomely. This structure explains why Morocco’s ranking shifted so dramatically after Qatar 2022. It’s worth noting that a player’s eligibility to earn ranking points for Morocco depends on strict nationality eligibility rules governing dual nationals and association switches.

FIFA Ranking vs Tournament Performance

In the eyes of statisticians who study international football, the FIFA World Ranking works best as a rough guide rather than a precise forecast. Studies show only a moderate correlation, roughly 0.40 to 0.62, between pre-tournament ranking and final World Cup placement.

Morocco’s 2022 campaign illustrates the gap. Entering Qatar ranked 22nd, Morocco topped Group F ahead of Croatia and Belgium, then reached the semifinals and finished fourth. That run far exceeded typical outcomes for teams outside the top 20, proving rankings identify broad tiers of strength but cannot reliably predict knockout drama or individual results.

Morocco Ranking Milestones

Rankings tell a different story than tournament runs, since they measure sustained performance over years rather than a single dramatic month. Morocco’s numbers show a clear arc: an early high in 1993, a painful bottom in 2010, and a historic peak in 2026.

Milestone	Ranking
Inaugural 1993 table	3rd
Record low (Sept. 2010)	95th
Previous historic high (1998)	10th
All-time high (July 2026)	6th

These four points frame the team’s journey from early promise through decline to elite status.

FAQs About Morocco’s FIFA Ranking

Certain questions about Morocco’s FIFA ranking come up again and again, from its historical peak to its current standing among the world’s top teams. This section answers those questions directly, covering the highest and lowest points on record, Morocco’s status as Africa’s top-ranked side, and the current position as of the 20 July 2026 update.

It also explains how often FIFA refreshes its rankings and why that matters for fans tracking Morocco’s progress.

What is Morocco’s highest FIFA ranking?

As of June 2026, Morocco holds the highest FIFA ranking in its history, sitting 5th in the FIFA Men’s World Ranking. This surpasses the previous national record of 10th place, set in April 1998, which stood for nearly three decades.

The rise came in stages: 11th after the 2022 World Cup semi-final run, 8th in January 2026 following a strong AFCON campaign, then 6th during the 2026 World Cup cycle before reaching 5th. That mark ranks as the best position ever achieved by an Arab nation and puts Morocco within one place of Nigeria’s all-time African best of 5th, set in 1994.

What is Morocco ranked in the world now?

Since that peak of 5th place, Morocco’s position has settled at 6th in FIFA’s official Men’s World Ranking, according to the update released on July 20, 2026.

The team holds 1,803.99 points, remaining the highest-ranked African and Arab nation in the world.

This position followed a strong 2026 World Cup run, which lifted Morocco from 8th in January to 7th by June, before climbing to 6th after the tournament.

Only France, Spain, Belgium, Argentina and England rank higher, with Morocco sitting less than a point behind Brazil in 5th.

The next official update arrives October 7, 2026.

What is Morocco’s highest ranking in Africa?

Within Africa, Morocco’s highest FIFA ranking doubles as its best-ever global position: 6th in the world, reached after the July 20, 2026 update. This mark surpassed the previous national high of 8th, set in January 2026, when Morocco was already Africa’s top-ranked side.

Only Nigeria’s 5th place in April 1994 stands higher among African nations historically, meaning Morocco’s peak trails one continental benchmark.

Since 2023, Morocco has consistently led Africa’s rankings, ahead of Senegal, Egypt, Nigeria, Algeria, Côte d’Ivoire and Tunisia, who typically occupy positions between 12th and 40th globally during this period.

How often does FIFA update the rankings?

Morocco’s climb to the top of Africa’s rankings raises a natural question: how often does that position actually get recalculated? FIFA doesn’t update rankings daily; instead, it publishes new lists after major international match windows, roughly every one to two months.

Recent examples show this pattern clearly: 19 January 2026 to 1 April 2026, then to 10 June 2026, and finally 20 July 2026, with the next update set for 7 October 2026.

FIFA also offers a live ranking tool showing real-time projected changes during matches, though these figures remain unofficial until the scheduled release confirms them.

Final Thoughts

In the span of three decades, few national teams have traveled as far in the FIFA World Ranking as this one. From a low of 95th in September 2010 to a historic 6th place in 2026, the trajectory reflects steady rebuilding rather than sudden luck. World Cup semifinal and quarterfinal runs in 2022 and 2026 turned temporary success into lasting ranking points, while coaching stability and consistent qualification form kept the momentum going. Today, the team stands as Africa’s and the Arab world’s highest-ranked side, a clear marker of how far the program has developed since 2010.