Morocco have returned to fifth place in the FIFA world rankings after Portugal suffered a heavy 4-1 defeat by Denmark on Saturday, 14 November 2026.
The Atlas Lions had moved up to sixth after Brazil were beaten 3-2 by Japan, but Portugal’s loss allowed Morocco to rise another position and reclaim a place they have occupied several times this year.
Morocco now have 1,805.34 points, moving ahead of Portugal, who drop to seventh with 1,797.60. Portugal lost 10.09 points following their defeat by Denmark, enabling Morocco to climb two places within a matter of hours.
The latest change underlines how closely the positions around the top five are being shaped by results involving Morocco’s main rivals. Brazil had been fifth before their defeat by Japan, which initially allowed Morocco to move up one place. Portugal’s subsequent loss then completed the Atlas Lions’ rise back into fifth.
The ranking movement follows Morocco’s emphatic victory over Niger on Friday, 13 November. They won 5-1 at the Complexe Mohammed V in Casablanca in a qualifying match for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations.
That result extended a positive period for the national team and came one day before Morocco’s latest improvement in the FIFA standings.
Morocco have already held fifth place twice in 2026
This is not the first time Morocco have reached fifth in the world this year. They first moved into that position on 20 June, after beating Scotland 1-0 in the group stage of the 2026 World Cup.
The Atlas Lions returned to fifth on 25 September, when they benefited from Brazil’s 1-1 draw with Australia.
Their latest rise means Morocco have once again taken advantage of results involving highly ranked opponents. The national team continue to remain among the leading sides in world football, with their position strengthened by both their own results and setbacks for Brazil and Portugal.
