Nigeria’s Super Eagles have climbed four spots to 41st in the latest FIFA Men’s World Rankings, reclaiming their position among Africa’s top five football nations.
The new rankings, released on Friday, reflect Nigeria’s strong performances in their 2026 World Cup qualifiers, moving up from 45th place and surpassing Ivory Coast, now 42nd globally.
The rise follows impressive results in recent qualifiers, including a 2–1 victory over Lesotho in Polokwane and a 4–0 win against Benin Republic in Uyo. These successes not only boosted Nigeria’s ranking points but also secured their place in the continental playoffs for the 2026 World Cup.
The Super Eagles will next face Gabon, ranked 77th worldwide and 15th in Africa, for a spot in the final playoff round, where either Cameroon or DR Congo awaits.
Across the continent, Morocco remains Africa’s highest-ranked team despite dropping one spot to 12th globally. Senegal is second in Africa and 18th worldwide, followed by Egypt (32nd) and Algeria (35th), with Nigeria rounding out the continent’s top five. Ivory Coast, Tunisia, Mali, Cameroon, and South Africa complete Africa’s top ten.
Globally, Spain retains the top spot in the FIFA rankings after consecutive World Cup qualifying wins over Georgia and Bulgaria. France, despite a 3–0 victory against Azerbaijan, settled for a 2–2 draw with Iceland, while world champions Argentina capitalized on France’s slip to move back into second place following friendly wins against Venezuela and Puerto Rico.
