Nip and tuck at the top while Niger hit the heights

This month’s international window featured no fewer than 192 encounters, with national teams from the AFC, CONMEBOL and OFC regions in action in FIFA World Cup 26 preliminary competitions, while CAF Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers and bouts in the UEFA Nations League and Concacaf Nations League completed the line-up of fixtures during the latest window in the Men’s International Match Calendar.

All of those contests have had a major bearing on the FIFA/Coca-Cola Men’s World Ranking.

Starting at the summit, things really couldn’t be any tighter between the sides gracing the podium.

While Argentina (1st) remain at the top of the pile, France (2nd) and Spain (3rd) are in hot pursuit.

England (4th) and Brazil (5th) retain their places, while Portugal (6th, up 1) and the Netherlands (7th, up 1) both climb a spot.

Belgium slip a pair of positions (8th, down 2), and it’s a case of “as you were” for Italy (9th) in a congested top 10 that is rounded off by the returning Germany (10th, up 1).

Beyond the leading pack, Uruguay (11th, up 3), Senegal (17th, up 3) and Ecuador (24th, up 3) gain good ground.

That said, fellow top 50ers Canada (31st, up 4), Romania (38th, up 5), Norway (43rd, up 5) and Scotland (45th, up 6) all enjoy more notable climbs, with the Canucks now occupying their highest-ever position.

However, the biggest ripples have been made a little further down the standings.

Although Zambia (87th, up 7) and Guyana (154th, up 7) both make significant strides, they are outdone by Niger (122nd, up 9), who chalked up more points (31.23) and rose more ranks than anyone else owing to their exploits in Africa Cup of Nations qualifying, in which they mustered back-to-back wins: a 4-0 victory over Sudan followed by a 2-1 away success against Ghana.

Other eye-catching performers include Kosovo (99th, up 2) and Comoros (103rd, up 5), who both join Canada in entering uncharted territory.

Elsewhere, and despite the fact that they continue to prop up the ranking, the 10.38 points that San Marino (210th) amassed courtesy of their landmark 3-1 away triumph over Liechtenstein – a first-ever win on their travels – suggests that brighter times lie ahead for La Serenissima.