Nigeria Rises to 38th in Latest FIFA Men’s World Ranking

Nigeria’s Super Eagles have climbed three places to 38th in the latest FIFA men’s world rankings, following a month in which they played two crucial international fixtures, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.

The updated rankings, covering 149 national team matches worldwide since the last release, reflect Nigeria’s 4–1 triumph over Gabon and a 1–1 draw with DR Congo, which ended in a 4–3 penalty defeat in the African World Cup play-offs.

Although missing out on the 2026 World Cup was a major disappointment, the results were enough to lift Nigeria in the global standings. The Super Eagles now have 1,502.46 points, ranking fifth among African nations behind Morocco, Senegal, Egypt, and Algeria.

Morocco continues to lead African football with 1,713.12 points, while Senegal occupies 19th globally with 1,648.07 points. Egypt is 34th with 1,520.68 points, and Algeria sits 35th with 1,516.37 points. Nigeria holds a slim edge over Tunisia (40th, 1,497.13 points) and maintains a larger gap over Ivory Coast and DR Congo, which have 1,489.59 and 1,442.50 points, respectively.

On a global scale, Spain remains top of the rankings, with world champions Argentina and France close behind. Brazil moved up two spots to fifth, opening room for other nations to shift positions. FIFA attributed changes in the rankings to results across confederations and the conclusion of 2026 World Cup qualifying matches.

For Nigeria, the rise to 38th offers a small consolation after the Rabat play-off heartbreak, where Frank Onyeka initially gave the visitors the lead before Elia Meschack equalized, and the subsequent penalty shootout ended Nigeria’s World Cup ambitions.

With the Africa Cup of Nations kicking off in December, the Super Eagles have a chance to further improve their ranking. A strong performance in Morocco could see Nigeria climb even higher both on the continent and globally.