Black Stars hold steady in FIFA Rankings despite inactivity

Ghana's senior men's national football team, the Black Stars, have maintained their position of 64th in the latest FIFA Coca-Cola world rankings.

Despite a temporary rise following successful FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Mali and the Central African Republic in June, the Black Stars' lack of activity in July, while other nations competed in major tournaments like the European Championship 2024 and Copa America 2024, prevented further progress.

Argentina retained their top spot globally after clinching the Copa America, while Spain climbed to third following their Euro 2024 triumph.

On the African continent, Morocco, Senegal, and Egypt occupy the top three positions ahead of Ghana, who currently sit at 12th.

The Black Stars will look to improve their ranking in the coming months as they prepare for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Angola and Niger in September. Their ultimate goal is to qualify for the tournament hosted in Morocco later next year.

The global rankings have seen significant movement due to a flurry of international activity in June and July, with over 125 matches played.

Argentina (1st) further cemented their dominance by successfully defending their Copa America title. France (2nd) remain the closest challengers, while Spain (3rd) enjoyed a significant five-place rise after conquering Europe. England (4th) are also on the rise, pushing past Brazil (5th) who dropped one spot.

Elsewhere, Belgium (6th) fell outside the top five, with Netherlands (7th) and Portugal (8th) following closely. Colombia (9th) broke back into the top ten despite a narrow Copa America final defeat to Argentina, while Italy (10th) held steady.

Several teams saw impressive jumps after reaching the quarter-finals of their respective continental tournaments. These include Turkey (26th, up 16) and Venezuela (37th, up 17).

The Americas also witnessed significant progress with Panama (35th, up 8) and Canada (40th, up 8) impressing on US soil.

Oceania rejoiced as OFC Men's Nations Cup winners New Zealand (94th, up 13) returned to the top 100 after a seven-year absence. Other Pacific nations like Fiji (153rd, up 13) and Vanuatu (162nd, up 8) also enjoyed notable climbs in the rankings.