Post a comment 
The Sierra Leone national football team, the Leone Stars, has ended the year 2025 ranked 120th globally and 33rd in Africa in the latest FIFA/Coca-Cola Men’s World Ranking released on Monday, December 22.
In the final ranking update of the year, Sierra Leone holds a total of 1149.10 points. This standing places them outside the world’s top 100, reflecting a year of mixed results that concluded with a period of inactivity during the final international break of the season.
The stagnation in the latest rankings follows a controversial November window (10–18 November) where the national team did not play a single friendly match. Head coach Mohamed Kallon expressed public frustration regarding the missed opportunity to improve team cohesion and ranking points.
“Another international window for national team friendly games gone,” Kallon wrote on social media, punctuating his statement with disappointed emojis.
The year 2025 marked the end of a significant era for the Leone Stars. The team recently concluded their 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign, finishing third in Group A with 15 points. While they managed a morale-boosting 2-1 victory over Djibouti in their final qualifier on October 12, their World Cup hopes were extinguished following a decisive 1-0 defeat to Burkina Faso earlier in the campaign.
The Djibouti match was particularly poignant as it marked the final international appearance of legendary striker and captain Kei Kamara, who announced his retirement shortly after.
On the continental stage, the ranking leaves Sierra Leone sitting in a competitive position within the Confederation of African Football (CAF), though they remain outside the uppermost tier of African football dominated by the likes of Morocco, Senegal, and Egypt.
With no immediate tournaments on the horizon, the focus has shifted to long-term rebuilding. Following the team’s World Cup elimination, President Julius Maada Bio met with the squad, urging them to make necessary changes and “get more prepared” for future challenges.
The SLFA has since confirmed that the national team’s focus will now pivot entirely to preparations for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations.
Globally, Spain has finished 2025 at the summit of the rankings, holding onto the top spot ahead of World Cup champions Argentina and France, who round out the top three.
The next FIFA World Ranking update is scheduled for January 2026, where the Leone Stars will look to improve their standing as they continue their international campaigns.
