Rwanda have climbed nine places to 119th in the latest FIFA Men’s World Ranking following an impressive run in the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, where they secured positive results against Liberia and Cape Verde. Amavubi are joint-biggest movers in the latest rankings, alongside the Dominican Republic, who also climbed nine places. Rwanda’s rise puts them among a group of African nations that made significant gains, including Guinea-Bissau, who moved up eight places to 124th, The Gambia, who rose seven to 109th, Botswana, who climbed six to 141st, and Mozambique, who moved five places to 98th. The latest rankings were heavily influenced by the recent round of AFCON qualifying matches, with several African nations rewarded for strong performances. Rwanda’s solid displays against Liberia and Cape Verde earned them valuable ranking points and helped produce one of the biggest improvements on the continent. Elsewhere, the Dominican Republic climbed nine places to 135th, while Guyana rose eight spots to 142nd. Northern Ireland moved up six places to 64th, while Estonia and Barbados each gained five positions to reach 122nd and 174th respectively after successful UEFA Nations League campaigns. A total of 338 men’s international matches have been played since the conclusion of the 2026 FIFA World Cup on July 19, with UEFA Nations League fixtures, Concacaf Nations League matches and AFCON 2027 qualifiers having a major impact on the latest standings. At the top of the global rankings, reigning world champions Spain strengthened their grip on first place, extending their lead over second-placed Argentina, who remain nearly 40 points behind. France continue to occupy third place. ALSO READ: PHOTOS: Super-sub Iradukunda inspires Rwanda comeback win over Cape Verde Portugal were among the biggest movers inside the top 10, climbing two places to fifth after overtaking Brazil and Morocco, who dropped to sixth and seventh respectively. Switzerland also made significant progress, moving up two places to 12th after leapfrogging Germany and Croatia. In Africa, Mali and South Africa broke into the global top 50 after both climbed six places, moving to 47th and 48th respectively. Their rise takes Africa’s representation among the world’s top 50 teams to 10 nations. For Rwanda, the latest ranking represents another positive sign of the team’s growing competitiveness under English coach Stephen Constantine, who returned to the Amavubi helm in March.
