Rangers Set for Highest UEFA Ranking Since 1995, Eye Athletic Bilbao to Boost Coefficient Standing

• by Arlen Fitzpatrick
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Rangers Make Major Moves in UEFA Ranking Race

For the first time in almost thirty years, Rangers are on the brink of European football’s biggest climbing act. After a strong series of results across the past five seasons, they're guaranteed to be no lower than 25th in the new UEFA ranking. Sounds impressive, right? The last time Rangers sat this high was back in 1995, when Britpop ruled the airwaves and European nights at Ibrox were a weekly thrill.

This leap didn’t come out of nowhere. Rangers have strung together solid appearances in both the Europa League and the Conference League—two competitions that hand out UEFA coefficient points based on wins and draws. In the group stages, every win bags them 2 points, and draws bring in 1. All these numbers are tallied over a five-year stretch, adding up every campaign’s drama, thrills, and heartbreaks. Their resilience—especially during standout European nights in the 2023/24 and 2024/25 seasons—has put serious weight behind their climb.

To underline just how big this is, Rangers’ new ranking even tops their run to the UEFA Cup final back in 2008. While that era captured Scottish imaginations, today’s ranking gives them more than just bragging rights. It sets them up for tastier seeding in future European draws, meaning fewer early matchups against the continent’s heavyweights and a better shot at deeper runs in Europe.

Rangers’ Coefficient Rivals: The Athletic Bilbao Hurdle

Of course, there’s always someone standing in the way. Right now, it’s Athletic Bilbao—the Basque club holding onto the spot just above Rangers in the rankings. It’s a tight race, with the Scottish side breathing down their necks. Rangers’ fans and players alike know that overcoming Bilbao could mean more than one-upmanship. It’s a move that could pay off in pot placement at future draws and open the door for larger opportunities.

The implications stretch beyond just the club. This bounce up the ladder boosts the case for Scottish football across Europe. Scotland’s coefficient gets a shot in the arm too, which can lead to more European places for the country’s clubs down the line. It all starts with points won on cool, nervy nights: every match, every qualification round, every hard-fought draw feeds into that number. Rangers’ steady stream of results, through mountains and setbacks, is now lifting the league’s profile continent-wide.

Seeing a Scottish club edge into Euro football’s big leagues is something nobody predicted a few years ago. But with unwavering consistency and a bit of that special Ibrox magic, Rangers have made the improbable look possible. The next step? Get past Athletic Bilbao, and show the rest of Europe that the Govan club isn’t just back—they’re here to stay at the top tier of the UEFA ranking dance.