Algeria’s FIFA Ranking Holds Steady at 35th Despite November Victories
Analysis: The Algerian national football team maintained its 35th position in the latest FIFA World Rankings released this week, despite earning valuable points from two international friendly victories during the November window.
The International Federation of Football Association (FIFA) published its monthly ranking this Wednesday, November 19, 2025, confirming Algeria’s unchanged position in the global football hierarchy. While the team gained 6.11 ranking points—bringing their total to 1516.37—the improvement wasn’t sufficient to alter their standing among the world’s football nations.
Strategic Implications of Ranking Stability
This maintenance of position reveals important dynamics in international football rankings. Under coach Vladimir Petkovic, Les Verts secured convincing victories against Mozambique (3-1) and Saudi Arabia (2-0) during the recent international break. However, the ranking system’s complex algorithm considers multiple factors beyond simple win-loss records, including the strength of opponents and the importance of matches.
The stability at 35th place suggests that while Algeria continues to perform consistently against mid-tier opponents, significant movement in the rankings requires victories against higher-ranked teams or success in competitive tournaments rather than friendlies.
African Football Landscape Analysis
Algeria’s fourth-place continental standing behind Morocco (11th globally), Senegal (19th), and Egypt reflects the competitive nature of African football. The narrow point margins separating these top African nations indicate that the upcoming 2025 Africa Cup of Nations could dramatically reshape the continental hierarchy.
The maintained third-place position among Arab nations, behind Morocco and Egypt, underscores Algeria’s consistent performance within the regional context. This positioning becomes particularly relevant as North African nations continue to demonstrate growing influence in global football.
World Cup Qualification Context
For Algerian football supporters, the ranking carries significance beyond mere prestige. FIFA rankings can influence seeding in important competitions, including World Cup qualification groups. Maintaining a position in the mid-30s provides Algeria with favorable seeding opportunities as they look toward the expanded 2026 World Cup and beyond.
The team’s upcoming challenges in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations against Burkina Faso (62nd), Equatorial Guinea (97th), and Sudan (118th) present opportunities to accumulate additional ranking points against varied opposition levels.
Global Football Hierarchy Perspective
At the summit of world football, Spain maintains its narrow lead over Argentina and France, with the top five nations separated by just over 100 points. Algeria’s position within this global context places them firmly in the second tier of international football—a grouping of nations capable of challenging top teams on their day but requiring consistent high-level performances to break into the elite ranks.
The coming months will prove crucial for Petkovic’s squad as they prepare for competitive AFCON matches that could provide the ranking boost needed to climb into the top 30—a psychologically significant threshold in international football.
This analysis is based on the official FIFA ranking data published November 19, 2025. Original source material available here.