Ivory Coast climb two places in the FIFA rankings

The Elephants have been rewarded for their performance during the international break.

Ivory Coast has leapt up the latest FIFA rankings and now occupies 29th place in the world. This rise sees the Elephants return to the world’s top 30 for the first time since 2016.

This leap in the rankings recognises the strong performances delivered by Hervé Renard’s squad during the September–October 2026 international break. The Elephants won their first two matchdays in the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, with a 2–0 victory over Ghana and a 2–0 win against Somalia.

The Ivorian national team has thus made a flawless start to their campaign to qualify for the next Africa Cup of Nations. However, this international break ended on a less favourable note with a 0–1 friendly defeat to Cameroon on 3 October at the Ebimpé Olympic Stadium.

Despite this setback, Ivory Coast has capitalised on its two wins in the qualifying campaign to climb the FIFA rankings and return to the world’s top 30. It is a momentum the Elephants will be keen to maintain.