Nigeria have moved up three spots to 38th in the latest FIFA men’s world rankings, released on Wednesday, after a month in which the Super Eagles played two key matches.
The new ranking—based on 149 international games—takes into account Nigeria’s 4–1 victory over Gabon and the 1–1 draw with DR Congo, which the Eagles eventually lost 4–3 on penalties in the African play-off.
Even though they fell short of qualifying for the 2026 World Cup, those results were enough to lift Nigeria higher on the global ladder. They now have 1,502.46 points, placing them fifth in Africa behind Morocco, Senegal, Egypt and Algeria. Morocco remain the continent’s top side with 1,713.12 points, followed by Senegal (19th, 1,648.07), Egypt (34th, 1,520.68) and Algeria (35th, 1,516.37). Nigeria are just ahead of Tunisia, who sit 40th on 1,497.13 points, and hold a clearer advantage over teams like Ivory Coast (1,489.59) and DR Congo (1,442.50). Morocco’s lead over Nigeria stands at a sizable 210.66 points.
FIFA noted that the latest movements in the rankings were influenced by results across several confederations and the wrap-up of the final qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup. Globally, Spain remain in first place, followed by Argentina and France, while Brazil climbed two spots to fifth thanks to a run of strong performances.
For Nigeria, reaching 38th offers some comfort after their World Cup disappointment. Their play-off in Rabat had started brightly with an early strike from Frank Onyeka, before Elia Meschack’s equaliser and a tense penalty shoot-out dashed their hopes of joining the expanded 48-team tournament. The timing of the ranking update is also noteworthy, coming as Nigeria prepare for the Africa Cup of Nations in December. A strong showing in Morocco could help the Super Eagles climb even further.
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