MUSCAT: Oman national football team maintained its position at 79th place in the latest Fifa Men’s World Ranking, released on Monday as the final ranking of the year. The Red Warriors closed the year with a total of 1,313.46 ranking points, reflecting a period of competitive international action and mixed results on the regional stage.
The latest ranking comes shortly after Oman’s participation in the Fifa Arab Cup, which took place and recently concluded in Doha city, and marked the team’s most recent international appearance. Oman exited the tournament at the group stage after finishing third in Group B with four points, missing out on a place in the knockout rounds.
Oman opened their campaign at Arab Cup with a hard-fought goalless draw against the eventual champions Morocco, one of Africa’s strongest national teams. The Red Warriors then suffered a narrow 2-1 defeat against Saudi Arabia in the second group match, despite delivering a competitive performance especially in second half. In their concluding fixture, Oman ended their campaign on a positive note with a 2-1 victory over Comoros.
Although the win against Comoros boosted morale, the overall results were not enough to significantly alter Oman’s position in the global rankings, leaving the team unchanged at 79th place as the year draws to a close. The ranking total of 1,313.46 points underlines a year of transition for the national side, which has seen the introduction of new players alongside experienced campaigners.
SPAIN ON TOP, MOROCCO 11TH
At the Arab level, Morocco continued to lead the regional rankings, occupying 11th place globally after their consistent performances and strong showing in international competitions including the Arab Cup. Jordan emerged as one of the biggest movers among Arab nations, climbing to 64th place following a series of positive results, including a strong run in regional tournaments and ending as runners up of the Arab Cup.
At Asian level, Japan maintained their status as Asia's top-ranked side after securing 18th spot and followed by Iran (19) as the second-highest ranked Asian side with South Korea in 22nd spot.
Spain managed to end the year at the top of the Fifa Men’s World Ranking for the first time since 2013. This is the seventh time for Spain as they finished the year as the planet's football's side to beat as this figure was only bettered by Brazil, who have managed it on 13 occasions.
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