Canada moves up to 40th in FIFA rankings, tying previous best
Canada's men's soccer team jumped up eight places to No. 40 in FIFA's world rankings after scoring a huge win over Mexico in CONCACAF World Cup qualifying earlier this week.
The ranking matches the program's previous best, which was set in December 1996.
Canada is now the third-highest ranked team from North America, surpassing Costa Rica, which it trailed by three places in October.
CONCACAF rankings
| World Rank | Country | Last Position (+/-) |
|---|---|---|
| 12 | United States | 13 (+1) |
| 14 | Mexico | 9 (-5) |
| 40 | Canada | 48 (+8) |
| 49 | Costa Rica | 45 (-4) |
| 57 | Jamaica | 59 (+2) |
| 63 | Panama | 69 (+6) |
| 69 | El Salvador | 65 (-4) |
| 76 | Honduras | 68 (-8) |
Tuesday's 2-1 victory in chilly Edmonton pushed Canada into first place in CONCACAF's Octagonal, putting it in a great position to qualify for its first World Cup since 1986.
The win was Canada's first over Mexico since February 2000 in the CONCACAF Gold Cup.
John Herdman's side has 16 points from its opening eight qualifiers, having won four and drawn four.
However, the men's team plays four of its remaining six qualifiers away from home, and it's just two points up on third-placed Mexico. The top three nations in CONCACAF advance to the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, with the fourth-placed team entering an intercontinental playoff.