FIFA ranking: Benin wins four places and rises to 89th place

FIFA published its new men’s ranking on Wednesday, October 7, 2026. Benin makes a progression of four places. The Cheetahs go from 93rd to 89th position in the world and also gain a place on the African continent.

Benin is progressing in the FIFA rankings. After the last international truce, the Cheetahs are now in 89th place in the world. FIFA officially updated its ranking on Wednesday, October 7. Benin gains four places compared to the previous update. On the African continent, the selection also goes from 20th to 19th place. This progress comes after three matches played by Gernot Rohr’s men.

Four points in the CAN playoffs

Benin first played two matches as part of the CAN 2027 qualifiers. The Cheetahs got a 1-1 draw against Burkina Faso. They then beat Mauritania with a score of 2-1. These two results allowed Benin to collect four additional points. According to data published by La Nation, this sequence brought about 14.5 points to the selection in the calculation of the FIFA ranking.

The third appointment was much more prestigious. On the night of October 6 to 7, Benin faced Argentina at the Monumental Stadium in Buenos Aires. This meeting marked Lionel Messi’s last appearance with Albiceleste. The Cheetahs lost 3-0. However, this result had only a limited impact on their ranking, with an estimated loss of 0.63 points.

Morocco remains number one in Africa

Despite the Beninese progress, the African hierarchy remains dominated by Morocco. The Atlas Lions rank 7th in the world. They are followed by Senegal, 18th in the world, then Egypt, 25th. Algeria completes the expanded African podium with its 28th place in the world. Côte d’Ivoire then came in 29th place in the world. Nigeria follows in 30th place. DR Congo, Cameroon, Mali and South Africa complete the African Top 10.

The world ranking is still dominated by Spain. Argentina occupies the second position and France the third. England remains fourth, while Portugal climbs to fifth place ahead of Brazil and Morocco. The next official FIFA ranking update is scheduled for November 18, 2026.