The recent FIFA rankings show a drop of two places for the Canadian men’s team, now at No. 29. This change occurred despite not participating in a Tier 1 international match since the last rankings. Nigeria and Algeria have surpassed Canada, with Nigeria climbing 12 spots to No. 26 and Algeria moving up six places to 28th due to their performances at the Africa Cup of Nations.
Canada’s most recent match was a 1-0 victory over Guatemala in a B international game in Los Angeles, which did not affect their FIFA ranking. The top seven positions in the rankings remain unchanged, with Spain leading the pack, followed by Argentina, France, England, Brazil, Portugal, and the Netherlands. Morocco broke into the top 10 for the first time since April 1998, reaching an all-time high of No. 8.
Senegal, the winner of AFCON, rose seven places to No. 12, while Equatorial Guinea experienced the largest decline, dropping 10 spots to No. 107. Notable movements in the rankings include Egypt (31st, up four), Ivory Coast (37th, up five), and Congo DR (48th, up eight) following their performances in the African championship.
Within the CONCACAF region, the top five teams all saw a decrease in their rankings, with the U.S. and Mexico each dropping one spot to No. 15 and No. 16, respectively. Panama fell three places to 33rd, and Costa Rica dropped two spots to 51st, positioning them below Canada. Uzbekistan, Canada’s upcoming opponent in a friendly match on June 1 in Edmonton, also slipped two places to No. 52.
Upcoming matches for Canada include facing Tunisia (No. 47, down six) and Iceland (No. 74, unchanged) in the March international window. Additionally, Canada is set to play against Switzerland (No. 18, down one) and Qatar (No. 56, down two) in Group B at the upcoming World Cup, with the final team in their group to be determined from a European playoff involving Italy (No. 13, down one), Wales (No. 35, down three), Northern Ireland (No. 69, unchanged), and Bosnia and Herzegovina (No. 71, unchanged).
Canada’s highest-ever FIFA ranking was No. 26 in September, with the team previously dropping to as low as No. 122 in August and September 2014.