Saudi Arabia rise to 56th in latest FIFA World Men’s Rankings

It also means that Saudi Arabia are the second-highest among Asia’s Arab contingent.
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Updated 17 September 2021
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Saudi Arabia rise to 56th in latest FIFA World Men’s Rankings

  • Herve Renard’s team is now the fifth highest among AFC nations and second highest among Asia’s Arab teams

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia have risen to 56th position in the latest FIFA Men’s Rankings after a perfect start to their 2022 World Cup qualification campaign.

September’s wins over Vietnam (3-1) and Oman (1-0) in the final round of the Asian Qualifiers have helped Herve Renard’s team from the Kingdom add 20.31 coefficient points to now rank as the fifth best of the Asian Football Confederation member nations behind Iran (22), Japan (26), Australia (32), Korea (36) and Qatar (43).

It also means that Saudi Arabia are the second-highest among Asia’s Arab contingent behind Qatar, with the UAE, 69th overall, in third.

Of the other Arab nations in the AFC, Iraq are 72nd, Oman 78th, Syria 81st, and Bahrain 91st.

Among the Arab nations in Africa, Tunisia are 25th in the FIFA rankings, ahead of Algeria (30), Morocco (33) and Egypt (48).

Globally, Belgium head the rankings and are followed by Brazil, England, France and Italy in the top five.


Formula E heads to Jeddah for double-header, Evans looking to build on Miami momentum

Updated 11 sec ago
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Formula E heads to Jeddah for double-header, Evans looking to build on Miami momentum

  • The night races in Saudi Arabia come with the drivers’ standings tightly contested, with the top five separated by just seven points after three rounds

JEDDAH: The FIA Formula E World Championship continues this week with the first double-header of the 2025/26 season, as Rounds 4 and 5 take place at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit on Feb. 13 and 14.

The night races in Saudi Arabia come with the drivers’ standings tightly contested, with the top five separated by just seven points after three rounds, while the highly anticipated Pit Boost feature also returns this weekend.

Pit Boost is a mandatory mid-race stop that provides cars with a 10 percent energy increase, adding a significant strategic element to selected races during double-header weekends.

Jaguar TCS Racing’s Mitch Evans arrives in Jeddah fresh from victory in Miami and said the team is keen to build on its momentum.

“Getting the win in Miami was a huge boost, for me personally, of course, but for the whole team too. It was one of those races where everything just came together, and to take my 15th Formula E victory with Jaguar made it even more special,” he said.

“Now the attention shifts to Jeddah, which is a completely different challenge. We’ve shown we have the pace, and if we execute well across both races, there’s a big opportunity for us to really ride this momentum,” he added.

Porsche Formula E Team’s Nico Muller said the Jeddah E-Prix presents a unique challenge, particularly with the return of Pit Boost, which will be used in one of the two races.

“I’m excited for the Jeddah E-Prix, a night race is always special. It’s a cool track, it suits the GEN3 Evo (car) well,” he said.

“It’ll be the first Pit Boost race of the season, which will make things challenging, having two completely different races. It also makes preparation more intense because we’re preparing for two different scenarios.

“However, we have a strong base, the car and the team are performing well, and now it’s about optimizing our package for this track and the conditions. We have full focus on scoring points and chasing that victory,” he added.

The Jeddah E-Prix will once again be held under the lights, with cooler track and air temperatures expected to influence tire behavior and energy efficiency.

Off track, Formula E will also host the return of EVO Sessions, where global content creators will drive electric race cars at the circuit following the race weekend, with the event set to be streamed live on YouTube on Feb. 15.

The championship continues to promote sustainability and community engagement in Jeddah through initiatives focused on renewable energy use, waste reduction, education programs and inclusion, including support for young women in motorsport and local community partnerships.