South Africa is about to join football’s world top 50 again
JOHANNESBURG — Bafana Bafana are projected to break into the world’s top 50 for the first time in 15 years, with South Africa climbing to 48th in the live FIFA rankings after a run of results that has transformed the national team’s international standing.
South Africa entered the latest international period ranked 54th in the official FIFA rankings, having already climbed six places following the 2026 FIFA World Cup. FIFA’s July update represented another significant step in a recovery that has taken Bafana from 66th in 2023 to within touching distance of the world’s top 50.
According to the latest live calculations reported by Soccer Laduma, Bafana have now moved another six positions to 48th and are projected to become the 10th-highest-ranked national team in Africa.
The position remains provisional until FIFA publishes its next official men’s world ranking on Wednesday, 7 October. FIFA cautions that its live standings remain unofficial until the relevant matches have been approved as international A matches.
If confirmed, 48th would put South Africa inside the world’s top 50 for the first time since 2011 and continue one of Bafana’s strongest sustained ranking recoveries in years.
The improvement becomes clearer when viewed over a longer period.
South Africa finished 2017 ranked 81st in the world and remained outside the top 60 for much of the following six years. Bafana were 71st in 2020, 68th in 2021, 67th in 2022 and 66th in 2023 before climbing to 57th in 2024.
There was a setback in 2025, when South Africa finished the year in 61st position, but performances during 2026 reversed that decline. FIFA’s July rankings moved Bafana from 60th to 54th after the World Cup, making South Africa one of the notable climbers in that update.
The projected rise to 48th would also carry significance within African football. South Africa would move into the continent’s top 10, strengthening a recovery that has increasingly been reflected in tournament performances as well as rankings.
Bafana remain some distance from their historic high. South Africa reached 16th in the FIFA rankings at their peak, while their lowest position was 124th.
For now, 48th remains a projected position rather than the official ranking. FIFA’s update on Wednesday will determine whether Bafana have formally returned to the world’s top 50 after an absence of around 15 years.
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