Club football misses out again

As the 2024/25 football season approaches its end in Europe, Gibraltar could once again find itself languishing at the bottom of UEFA’s Association Club Coefficient rankings.
The 2023/24 season saw Gibraltar fall to 54th place in the rankings—just above San Marino—with Montenegro, Wales, Andorra, and North Macedonia directly above. As the current season winds down, UEFA’s most recent update to the Association Club Coefficient rankings, dated May 5, still shows Gibraltar in the same position. Wales has climbed from 52nd to 49th, while Belarus has dropped to 52nd. Andorra remains just above Gibraltar, with North Macedonia at 51st.
The Faroe Islands, a nation Gibraltar has historically compared itself to, is currently ranked 40th—above Northern Ireland, Montenegro, Albania, Estonia, and Malta.
However, there are some positives for Gibraltar. UEFA’s season coefficient ranking for 2024/25 places Gibraltar at 45th, ahead of Northern Ireland, Lithuania, Georgia, and Albania, among others. It also sits just one position below the Faroe Islands. Notably, Gibraltar had only three clubs competing in European football this season, compared to four from the Faroe Islands.
This season’s ranking marks a significant contrast to the 2023/24 campaign, when Gibraltar finished 54th—last in the Association Club Coefficient rankings.
While Gibraltar is likely to remain near the bottom in the overall coefficient standings, the improved seasonal performance could help strengthen the case for regaining a fourth European competition spot—an opportunity lost in recent years.