🇸🇳SenegalWest Africa
Senegal drops three places in new FIFA rankings after 2026 World Cup, Spain takes top spot
via SeneNews3 min read
The latest FIFA rankings, released after the 2026 World Cup, show significant changes for several national teams. Spain has climbed to the number one position, displacing Argentina, which is now second. France remains in third place, and England holds fourth. Brazil moved up one spot to fifth, while Portugal dropped two places to seventh. Belgium and the Netherlands swapped positions, with Belgium now eighth and the Netherlands ninth. In Africa, Morocco advanced one place to sixth, solidifying its status as the top African team following a strong performance that saw them reach the quarterfinals. Conversely, Senegal experienced a notable decline, falling three places to 18th, putting them outside the top 15 globally. This drop is attributed to their performance in the North American World Cup, which did not meet expectations. Mexico, a co-host, made a significant jump of four places, re-entering the top 10 at tenth. Other notable movements include Colombia gaining two places, while Germany and Croatia each fell two spots. Switzerland saw one of the biggest gains, moving up five places to 14th, just ahead of Italy, which dropped three places to 15th. The most dramatic rise was Norway, which surged twelve places to 19th, entering the top 20. Uruguay, on the other hand, fell four places to 20th. For Senegal, this decline in the rankings serves as a warning ahead of upcoming continental competitions, including the Africa Cup of Nations.
Free daily or weekly digest of the most important stories from across 18 African countries. No spam, unsubscribe any time.
This summary was AI-generated from a story originally published by SeneNews.
Must ReadSixty-nine individuals were arrested in South Africa after an anti-migrant demonstration near Gqeberha, formerly Port Elizabeth, escalated into looting and violence. The incident, which occurred on Thursday, July 16, 2026, resulted in 23 businesses being plundered and one person hospitalized in Jeffreys Bay. The South African police confirmed the arrests of suspects aged 18 to 52 for public disorder. Several foreign nationals were moved to a temporary shelter for their safety. This event is part of a series of xenophobic incidents and anti-migrant protests that have been ongoing for several months, leading approximately 150,000 people to leave South Africa, according to AFP data. These protests, sometimes violent, are driven by various organizations accusing migrants of taking jobs from South Africans. Police have reported that at least four foreign nationals, including two Mozambicans, one Ethiopian, and one Malawian, have died in violence linked to this campaign. As of July 8, authorities had arrested 350 people in connection with illegal acts, intimidation, incitement to violence, and similar offenses. The government stated its commitment to firmly address crime, vigilantism, public violence, intimidation, discrimination, and informal attempts to resolve immigration issues. South Africa, the continent's largest economy, attracts many migrants but faces high unemployment 32%, and up to 42% among youth, significant inequality, and high crime rates, with an average of 60 murd
Must ReadNew US strikes against Iran aim to prevent attacks on ships in the Strait of Hormuz, a critical oil transit area. These actions are impacting global oil prices, which saw an increase on Monday, with Brent crude rising by 1.27% to $89.22 and West Texas Intermediate by 0.90% to $83.23. The ongoing hostilities between the US and Iran, which resumed on July 7, are also affecting Senegal's energy markets. Saudi Arabia condemned a maritime blockade announced by Houthi rebels, who are supported by Iran. Jordan's army intercepted three Iranian missiles targeting the kingdom, while US President Donald Trump threatened severe repercussions for Iran if American soldiers are killed. In Lebanon, the army began securing three southern villages, a step towards the withdrawal of Israeli forces and the disarmament of pro-Iranian Hezbollah. A ship was hit off the coast of the United Arab Emirates, though its crew is safe. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot denounced the detention and mistreatment of two French diplomats by Iranian security services in Tehran. Kuwaiti and Bahraini armies reported new missile and drone attacks from Iran, with Bahrain's civil aviation authority stating that Iran targeted its navigation systems. Iranian President Massoud Pezeshkian described the situation as a "total war" against the United States, warning of economic consequences. Iran's Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni is scheduled to visit Pakistan, a mediator in the Middle East conflict, though the purp
The FIFA World Cup 2026 achieved a historic attendance of 6.81 million spectators, surpassing the 1994 record of 3.58 million. This record was driven by the new 48-team format. FIFA projects record revenues of over 7 billion euros for 2026, a 56% increase from 2022 and 67% from 2018. FIFA President Gianni Infantino noted that seven million people were in stadiums, ten million in the streets of the United States, Canada, and Mexico, and billions watched on television. Stadiums maintained a 99.7% occupancy rate despite high ticket prices. Television audience records were also broken globally, though specific figures were not yet released. The 2022 World Cup final in Qatar had 1.5 billion viewers. For 2026, TV rights were expected to increase by 34% to nearly 4 billion dollars, and partnerships by 21%. FIFA estimates that 5.2 billion people interacted with the competition by the round of 16. Of the 3.7 billion dollars FIFA planned to spend, a quarter was allocated to participating teams and clubs, with the overall tournament prize money increased by 15% to 871 million dollars. The winner was set to receive 50 million dollars, and each participating team guaranteed a minimum of 12.5 million dollars. Discussions are underway for a potential expansion to a 64-team format for the 2030 World Cup, which will be hosted across multiple countries including Spain, Portugal, Morocco, Paraguay, Uruguay, and Argentina. UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin has expressed concerns about such an ex