For the first time since 2018, the calendar year will draw to a close with a team other than Belgium sitting at the top of the FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking. Having wrestled first place out of the hands of Les Diables Rouges in March, Brazil have managed to remain in their lofty position ever since.

Following the creditable efforts of France in 2018, Qatar in 2019, Hungary in 2020 and Canada in 2021, it was Morocco’s turn to register the greatest climb of the year, gaining 142.42 points over the past 12 months. The Atlas Lions finished 2022 in 11th place, just one spot lower than their best-ever placing (10th in April 1998), and 17 higher than in December 2021.

FIFA takes a look back at the movers and shakers in the FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking during 2022.

1 – The berth occupied by Brazil at the conclusion of 2022. A Seleção regained top spot in March, five years after having relinquished it. The Brazilians won 10 of their 13 matches, drawing one and losing two, with both defeats coming during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™.

2.39 – The number of points that separate Brazil from second-placed Argentina. La Albiceleste would actually have gone above their South American rivals had they beaten France (3rd, plus 1) in the final of Qatar 2022 within 90 or even 120 minutes, rather than via a penalty shoot-out.

4 – Four teams achieved their highest-ever position in the FIFA Ranking this year: Senegal (18th, February), Canada (33rd, February), Kosovo (106th, June), and Comoros (126th, June).

7 – Between December 2021 and December 2022, seven teams moved up ten or more places: Gambia (126th, plus 24), Morocco (11th, plus 17), Costa Rica (32nd, plus 17), Cameroon (33rd, plus 17), Equatorial Guinea (98th, plus 16), Indonesia (151st, plus 13) and Cuba (168th, plus 11).

24 – The number of matches played by Senegal – a record for 2022. Les Lions de la Teranga, together with Morocco (22 matches) and Ghana (21), took part in the CAF Africa Cup of Nations, which ran from 9 January to 6 February, and the World Cup in Qatar, hence the elevated figure.

24 – There are 24 UEFA representatives in the top 50 of the World Ranking in December 2022, which is two fewer than in December 2021. The second-most represented confederation, CAF, has three more sides in the first 50 than last year. Next come CONMEBOL (eight teams, the same as in 2021), AFC (five, also no change), Concacaf (three, down one) and OFC (none).

41.5 – The number of points that Cameroon earned by defeating Brazil in the group stage of Qatar 2022 – no match during the year generated more points for one team. Elsewhere, Saudi Arabia came close (39.2 points) to this total in their upset victory over eventual world champions Argentina.

142.42 – The number of points gained in 2022 by CAF representatives Morocco, the best performance by any nation. UEFA’s top points earner was Croatia (plus 106.86), while Argentina (plus 87.87), Costa Rica (plus 62.75), Japan (plus 61.55) and New Zealand (plus 28.17) took the honours for CONMEBOL, Concacaf, AFC and OFC respectively.

939 – The total number of senior international matches played throughout 2022. That tally equates to 183 fewer encounters than the record-breaking 1,122 that took place last year. It is, however, 586 more than in 2020, when fixtures were severely disrupted by the Covid-19 pandemic.

5006 – As of 30 December 2022, this is the total number of days that Brazil have spent at the summit of the FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking. This constitutes a record and, now that the Verde Amarela have reclaimed top spot, an ongoing run.