FIBA Ranking 2026: South Sudan as African benchmark, Angola's leap

At the summit of world basketball, the hierarchy remains dominated by the United States and Germany, both undefeated in their most recent outings. The main change in the Top 10 concerns France, which takes over third place in the world by overtaking Serbia. Les Bleus take advantage of victories achieved against higher-ranked opponents during this window.

Despite these movements at the top, no African nation manages to break into the world Top 20.

South Sudan unshakeable, Angola on the rise

Undisputed leader of the African continent, South Sudan maintains its throne and ranks 24th in the world, confirming its consistency in international competitions.

The real sensation of this update comes from Angola. Having delivered standout performances in the Africa Zone qualifiers — including key victories over Côte d'Ivoire and the Democratic Republic of Congo — the Angolans register the strongest progress among all teams in the world Top 80. This momentum allows them to climb to 27th place in the world and secure the 2nd continental spot, pushing Côte d'Ivoire down to the third step of the African podium (35th in the world).

The extent of movements in the rankings is explained notably by the calendar: African teams played three matches during this qualifying window (compared to two in other zones), giving them an increased opportunity to accumulate points. In addition, FIBA has introduced a new factor related to margin of victory (adding value to wins by 30 points or more), which has benefited offensive teams.

The Top 20 African nations in the FIBA world ranking

1. South Sudan (24th in the world)

2. Angola (27th in the world)

3. Côte d'Ivoire (35th in the world)

4. Egypt (42nd in the world)

5. Senegal (47th in the world)

6. Tunisia (50th in the world)

7. Cape Verde (51st in the world)

8. Nigeria (52nd in the world)

9. Cameroon (55th in the world)

10. Mali (61st in the world)

11. Guinea (67th in the world)

12. DR Congo (68th in the world)

13. Uganda (80th in the world)

14. Rwanda (84th in the world)

15. Libya (89th in the world)

16. Madagascar (90th in the world)

17. Central African Republic (99th in the world)

18. Kenya (109th in the world)

19. South Africa (121st in the world)

20. Burundi (122nd in the world)