October 2024 proved to be a transformative month for international football, with 175 matches including World Cup qualifiers, AFCON qualifiers, and Nations League games reshaping the FIFA/Coca-Cola Men’s World Ranking. While Argentina maintains its position at the summit, its lead has narrowed over France (2nd) and Spain (3rd), with England, Brazil, and Belgium completing an unchanged top six. Portugal and Italy made modest gains in the top ten, climbing to 7th and 9th respectively.
The most dramatic movements came from African nations, with Comoros and Sudan achieving remarkable ten-place jumps to reach 108th and 110th positions respectively. These advances came after impressive victories over higher-ranked opponents in the Africa Cup of Nations 2025 qualifiers, with Comoros notably achieving their highest-ever ranking in FIFA’s global standings.
Other significant climbers included Algeria (37th), Peru (38th), and Greece (42nd), while Cameroon made a welcome return to the top 50. The rankings also highlighted the progress of several other African teams, with Equatorial Guinea, Zimbabwe, and The Gambia all gaining seven places. Botswana, nicknamed the Zebras, recorded the most substantial improvement in terms of points, gaining 38.30 points to reach the 140th position.
