Portugal has climbed two places to fifth in the FIFA world ranking, overtaking Brazil and Morocco. The rise follows four consecutive victories in the 2026/27 Nations League group stage under head coach Jorge Jesus.
The Seleção had been seventh in the previous update, a drop that came after their round of 16 exit at the 2026 World Cup, a 1-0 loss to Spain. The response was swift. Portugal began the new qualifying phase with a 1-0 win over Wales, followed by a 2-1 victory in Norway. The positive run continued with a 4-2 win in Denmark and, most recently, a 2-1 home win against Norway at the Estádio do Dragão on October 4.
These results earned Portugal 1807.69 points in FIFA's calculation, enough to surpass Brazil's 1806.51 and Morocco's 1805.34. Spain remains top with 2011.57 points, followed by Argentina (1972.80), France (1958.86) and England (1925.59). Belgium sits eighth, with the Netherlands ninth and Mexico tenth.
Jorge Jesus, who succeeded Roberto Martínez after the World Cup, has seen his work rewarded. "Portugal subiu dois lugares e recuperou a quinta posição no ranking da FIFA, ultrapassando Brasil e Marrocos," the manager said. The team has already secured early qualification for the Nations League quarter-finals, a title they are defending.
Recent form confirms the strong spell: in their last five matches, the national team has four wins and just one defeat, currently on a four-game winning streak. The next challenge is a rematch with Denmark on November 14 in the same group stage.
Among other Portuguese-speaking nations, Cape Verde is 68th, Angola 83rd, Mozambique 98th, Guinea-Bissau 124th and São Tomé and Príncipe 194th. The full squad list and team statistics are available on the squad page.
This story first appeared at O Jogo
