By Issah Olegor
The Ghana Premier League (GPL), once celebrated as a cradle of African football talent, has suffered a major reputational blow after being ranked last among the world’s top 100 men’s football leagues in the latest assessment by the International Federation of Football History and Statistics (IFFHS).
The annual ranking, which evaluated league performance between January 1 and December 31, 2025, placed the top-flight competition in 100th position with a total score of 155.75 points, the lowest tally among all leagues considered globally.
The IFFHS rankings are compiled using a weighted points system that measures both domestic league outcomes and the performance of clubs in continental competitions.
League champions and participating clubs earn points based on match results at home and on the international stage, particularly in confederation tournaments.
The system is designed to provide a comparative and objective snapshot of league strength worldwide.
For Ghana, the latest ranking marks a notable regression. At the close of the 2024 season, the GPL was positioned 92nd globally, already outside the upper tiers but still ahead of several leagues from smaller footballing nations.
The drop to last place within a year underscores concerns about the league’s competitiveness, structure and continental impact.
Despite the rich football heritage and its reputation for producing elite players who excel across Europe and beyond, the domestic league now trails countries with far less historical pedigree. Leagues from Guatemala (65th), Nicaragua (55th), Venezuela (67th), and Panama (98th) all finished above the GPL in the 2025 rankings, highlighting the scale of the decline.
On the African front, the contrast is even more pronounced. Egypt, Morocco, South Africa, Algeria and Tunisia dominate the continent’s standings, occupying Africa’s top five positions in the global ranking.
These leagues have benefited from stronger domestic organization, better commercial backing, improved infrastructure and, crucially, consistent performances by their clubs in CAF competitions.
The GPL’s poor showing inevitably raises questions about long-standing challenges facing the domestic football, including funding constraints, infrastructure deficits, administrative instability and underwhelming continental results by its clubs in recent seasons.
While the ranking does not erase the historical influence on African and global football, it serves as a stark indicator of how far the domestic game has fallen — and the scale of reform required if the Ghana Premier League is to reclaim relevance and respect on the international stage.
