The UAE moved up 14 places in the Fifa rankings following their third-placed finish at the Asian Cup and now sit 66th.
Mahdi Ali’s side are ranked fifth in Asia, below Iran, South Korea, Japan and Australia, who won last month’s tournament and climbed 37 places to 63rd.
Ivory Coast also leapt up the rankings after winning the Africa Cup of Nations, while tiny Equatorial Guinea moved into the top 50 for the first time.
Equatorial Guinea, who hosted the Nations Cup, leapt 69 places and are joint 49th with Congo after surpassing expectations and reaching the semi-finals, albeit in controversial style.
Ivory Coast moved up eight places to 20th although Algeria, the team they beat in the quarter-finals, remain Africa’s best-placed team in 18th. Runners-up Ghana moved up 12 places to 25th.
Iran (41st) are Asia’s only representatives in the top 50.
There was no change in the top five where Germany lead followed by Argentina, Colombia, Belgium and Netherlands.
Rankings (last month’s positions in brackets)
1 – Germany (1)
2 – Argentina (2)
3 – Colombia (3)
4 – Belgium (4)
5 – Netherlands (5)
6 – Brazil (6)
7 – Portugal (7)
8 – France (7)
9 – Uruguay (10)
10 – Spain (9)
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