Senegal Climbs in FIFA Rankings as AFCON Impact Reshapes CONCACAF Teams

Senegal has emerged as the most significant climber in the latest FIFA rankings, advancing seven positions to secure the 12th spot overall, following a remarkable campaign in the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON). This ascent has had repercussions for both the United States Men’s National Team and Mexico, which have fallen to 15th and 16th place, respectively, indicating a modest setback for these traditional CONCACAF powerhouses.

The AFCON-driven reshuffle also impacted Canada, which is now the third-highest-ranked team in CONCACAF. Under the guidance of coach Jesse Marsch, Canada dropped two positions as Nigeria ascended to 26th and Algeria gained two spots to reach 28th. Consequently, Canada has settled into the 29th position in the latest FIFA rankings.

The United States will not be in action until March, with no additional fixtures scheduled prior to their upcoming friendlies against Belgium and Portugal later that month.

In contrast, Mexico has arranged several preparatory matches under head coach Javier Aguirre. El Tri is set to face Panama this Thursday, travel to Bolivia on Sunday, and host Iceland in Querétaro on February 25, as Aguirre works on fine-tuning his squad ahead of finalizing his World Cup roster.