In the most recent FIFA rankings, the Canadian men’s national soccer team has slipped to 29th place, dropping two positions without participating in a Tier 1 international match since the previous rankings. Nigeria and Algeria have surpassed Canada, with Nigeria moving up 12 spots to 26th and Algeria climbing six places to 28th following their performances at the Africa Cup of Nations.
Canada’s only recent match was a 1-0 victory over Guatemala in a B international game in Los Angeles, but this result did not impact the FIFA rankings. Meanwhile, the top seven rankings remained unchanged, with Spain leading the pack ahead of Argentina, France, England, Brazil, Portugal, and the Netherlands.
Morocco broke into the top 10 for the first time since April 1998, securing the eighth position. Senegal, the winner of the Africa Cup of Nations, rose seven places to 12th. On the other hand, Equatorial Guinea experienced the biggest drop, falling 10 places to 107th.
In the CONCACAF region, the top five teams all saw a decline in their rankings. The U.S. and Mexico dropped one spot each to 15th and 16th, respectively, while Panama (33rd) and Costa Rica (51st) were ranked below Canada. Uzbekistan, Canada’s upcoming opponent in a friendly on June 1 in Edmonton, also slipped two places to 52nd.
Looking ahead, reports suggest that Canada will face Tunisia (47th, down six) and Iceland (74th, unchanged) during the March international window. Additionally, Canada is set to compete against Switzerland (18th, down one) and Qatar (56th, 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 (13th, down one), Wales (35th, down three), Northern Ireland (69th), and Bosnia and Herzegovina (71st).
Canada’s highest-ever FIFA ranking was 26th, achieved in September, while they had previously dropped to as low as 122nd in August and September 2014.