Men’s soccer | Canada will finish 2024 in 31st position

Canada’s men’s national soccer team will enter 2025 with the 31^e rank in the FIFA rankings, the best in its history.

The new data, released Thursday, reveals very little change. While there have been 1,181 men’s international matches in 2024, only 21 have taken place since the November 28 edition of the rankings.

As a result, the ranking of the first 113 countries has not changed.

Argentina, world champion, who dislodged Brazil at the top of the rankings in April 2023, remains in first place, followed by France, Spain, England and Brazil. Portugal, the Netherlands, Belgium, Italy and Germany complete the top 10.

Canada moved up four places to 31st^e ranking on November 28 after beating Suriname 1-0, 3-0 last month in the two-legged quarter-finals of the Concacaf Nations League. The Canadians find themselves between Hungary and Serbia in the rankings.

Canada ranks third in Concacaf, which covers North America, Central America and the Caribbean, behind the United States (16^e) and Mexico (19^e). The Canadians will face Mexico in March in the Concacaf Nations League semifinal in Inglewood, California.

The Canadians had previously reached 33^e rank, in February 2022, under the leadership of John Herdman, after turning heads with a winning streak during Concacaf World Cup qualifying. Canada was named the “most improved team” in 2021 by FIFA, after jumping 32 places to reach 40^e rang.

Canada started the year 2024 at 48^e place, slipped to 50^e position in February, and was 49^e to the world when Jesse Marsch took over as coach in mid-May. Since then, the team has continued to climb to reach 48^e40^e38^e35^e and now 31^e places.

Angola recorded the greatest progression in the ranking in 2024, rising 32 places to reach 85^e rang.

On the women’s side, Canada is currently ranked sixth by FIFA.