Fiji has moved up four spots in the latest FIFA World Rankings, now sitting as the second highest ranked team in the Oceania region. Under the guidance of coach Rob Sherman, the Bula Boys are ranked 146th, marking their highest position since 2011. Their recent victory over the Solomon Islands, where they won 1-0 on October 10 in the FIFA World Cup qualifiers, helped them surpass their opponents in the rankings.
In other developments, New Zealand has also seen an improvement, climbing to 91 in the rankings, its best placement since 2016, following successful matches against Tahiti and Malaysia.
New Caledonia and Vanuatu have similarly moved up five places, now ranked 155 and 157 respectively, also due to wins in their World Cup qualifying games. Conversely, Papua New Guinea continues to fall in the standings, landing at 171, its lowest rank since 2018.
At the top of the global rankings, Argentina maintains its lead, but the gap between them and second-ranked France, as well as third-ranked Spain, has narrowed. England (4th), Brazil (5th), and Belgium (6th) have retained their positions, while Portugal (7th) and Italy (9th) have climbed one spot each. The top ten is completed by the Netherlands (8th) and Colombia (10th), with Germany (11th) rising two places and positioning itself just outside the top ten.
The next FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking is scheduled for release on November 28, 2024.
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