Rwanda’s national football team has climbed nine places to 119th in the latest FIFA men’s world ranking, marking its return to the top 120 for the first time since 2017.
The ranking released Wednesday puts Rwanda on 1,156.16 points, up from 1,126.62 in the previous edition. The team’s nine-place rise was the biggest improvement among the teams around its position in the latest table.
The move follows two wins in the opening matches of Rwanda’s 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign. Amavubi beat Liberia 3-1 before edging Cape Verde 2-1, giving Rwanda six points from its first two games.
It is the first time Rwanda has won its opening two matches in an AFCON qualifying campaign, adding to a run of improved results under coach Stephen Constantine.
Rwanda’s latest position is its best since 2017, when the team reached 113th before climbing further to a record 93rd place that year.
The national team’s all-time best FIFA ranking remains 64th, achieved during Constantine’s previous spell in charge between 2014 and 2015. Rwanda rose from 134th to 64th during that period.
The latest ranking is led by Spain, followed by Argentina, France, England and Brazil. Morocco is Africa’s highest-ranked side in sixth place globally, followed by Senegal, Egypt, Nigeria and Algeria.
Rwanda’s next FIFA ranking will be released on Nov. 18.
