Ronaldo and Portugal receive the worst possible news on the FIFA rankings.

CAF's controversial decision to award the AFCON title to Morocco could cause major upheaval in the FIFA rankings, with Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal among the teams directly affected.

This week, the world football community was shocked when CAF decided to award the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) title to Morocco, meaning Senegal was ruled as losers in the final. Consequently, the FIFA rankings could see significant shifts, particularly impacting Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal.

In the latest FIFA rankings, Morocco rose three places to 8th position, surpassing major teams like Germany, Italy, Belgium, and Croatia. However, this progress could be even more impressive once the adjusted result of the AFCON final is factored in.

Moving from runner-up to African champion, Morocco will gain an extra 26 points on the rankings. With a total of 1,763 points, they could rise into the world's top five for the first time in history, also marking the first time an African team reaches this milestone, ranking only behind Spain, Argentina, France, and England.

Morocco's ascent will cause several major teams to drop in rank. Brazil, led by Vinicius (1,760 points), Portugal, led by Cristiano Ronaldo (1,760 points) and the Netherlands (1,756 points) all risk being pushed down one spot.

On the other hand, Senegal will suffer significant losses. Not only stripped of the AFCON 2025 title, they also lose considerable points on the FIFA rankings. Previously, Senegal was one of the strongest climbers, rising to 12th place after gaining seven positions.

However, being counted as runner-up instead of champion will cause them to lose 26 points, dropping from 1,706 to 1,680 points. This means Senegal could be surpassed by Italy, Colombia, and the United States, thereby falling to 15th place on the rankings.

Nevertheless, the aforementioned changes still depend on whether CAF's decision remains unchanged or not. Senegal currently retains the right to appeal and is expected to take the case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Switzerland to reclaim the title.