FIFA Rankings: Super Eagles ranked 5th in Africa, 38th in the world

Femi Fabunmi

Nigeria’ Super Eagles have climbed three places to 38th in the newest FIFA men’s world rankings released on Wednesday, following a month of mixed but impactful performances by the Senior national team.

The latest ranking, which assessed 149 international fixtures played since the previous update, reflects Nigeria’s 4–1 win over Gabon and their 1–1 draw with DR Congo  a match they eventually lost 4–3 on penalties in the African play-offs.

Despite the disappointment of missing out on qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the results were enough to slightly boost Nigeria’s global standing.

The Super Eagles now have 1,502.46 ranking points, placing them fifth in Africa behind Morocco, Senegal, Egypt, and Algeria.

Morocco remain the continent’s highest-ranked side with 1,713.12 points. Senegal follow in 19th place globally with 1,648.07 points, while Egypt and Algeria sit 34th and 35th respectively. Nigeria hold a slim advantage over Tunisia, who are 40th with 1,497.13 points, while Ivory Coast (1,489.59) and DR Congo (1,442.50) trail slightly further behind.

FIFA noted that movements in the rankings were largely influenced by results across continental competitions and the conclusion of the World Cup qualifying series.

Spain retained their position as the number one team in the world. World champions Argentina are second, with France third, while Brazil climbed two places to fifth after a strong run of results.

For Nigeria, the rise in the standings provides a small boost as the team prepares for the Africa Cup of Nations scheduled for December in Morocco. A successful outing at the continental championship could see the Super Eagles make further progress in the global rankings.