Nigeria’s Super Eagles have climbed four places to 41st in the latest FIFA Men’s World Rankings, returning to the top five among African nations
The updated rankings, released on Friday, reflect Nigeria’s strong performances in their 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign, moving up from 45th place. The three-time African champions also leapfrogged Ivory Coast, now 42nd globally.
Nigeria’s rise follows impressive results in recent qualifiers, including a 2–1 win over Lesotho in Polokwane and a 4–0 victory against Benin Republic in Uyo. These results not only boosted their ranking points but also secured their spot in the continental playoffs for the 2026 World Cup.
The Super Eagles are set to face Gabon, ranked 77th globally and 15th in Africa, in the next playoff round, with the winner likely to face either Cameroon or DR Congo in the final stage.
On the continental front, Morocco remains Africa’s highest-ranked team despite slipping one spot to 12th worldwide. Senegal follows as second in Africa and 18th globally, while Egypt (32nd) and Algeria (35th) complete the top four, with Nigeria rounding out Africa’s top five. Ivory Coast, Tunisia, Mali, Cameroon, and South Africa make up the rest of Africa’s top ten.
At the global level, Spain maintains its lead atop the FIFA rankings, strengthened by consecutive World Cup qualifying victories over Georgia and Bulgaria. France, despite a 3–0 win over Azerbaijan, had to settle for a 2–2 draw against Iceland, while world champions Argentina capitalized on the slip to move back into second place following friendly wins against Venezuela and Puerto Rico.
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