The January 2026 FIFA World Ranking was heavily influenced by the conclusion of the CAF Africa Cup of Nations, with several African nations making major gains. Senegal’s strong tournament run pushed them up seven places to 12th overall, directly affecting both the USA and Mexico, who dropped to 15th and 16th, respectively.
AFCON impacts CONCACAF rankings
Senegal emerged as the biggest mover, climbing seven positions to reach 12th overall after an impressive AFCON campaign. Their rise proved costly for both the USA and Mexico, who slipped to 15th and 16th, respectively, marking a slight setback for CONCACAF’S traditional heavyweights.
Canada also slip
Canada were also affected by the AFCON-driven reshuffle. As the third-highest-ranked team in CONCACAF, Jesse Marsch’s side dropped two places after Nigeria climbed to 26th and Algeria gained two spots to reach 28th. As a result, Canada settled into 29th in the latest FIFA ranking.
What comes next for the USA?
The United States will not return to action until March, with no additional fixtures announced before their upcoming friendlies against Belgium and Portugal later that month.
What comes next for Mexico?
Mexico, by contrast, has scheduled several preparation matches under head coach Javier Aguirre. El Tri will face Panama this Thursday, travel to Bolivia on Sunday, and host Iceland in Querétaro on Feb. 25, as Aguirre fine-tunes his squad ahead of naming his World Cup list.
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