Nigeria’s Super Eagles have risen four places to 41st in the latest FIFA men’s world rankings, reclaiming their spot among Africa’s top five teams.
The updated rankings, released on Friday by FIFA, mark a significant boost for the three-time African champions, who improved from 45th to 41st position. Nigeria also moved ahead of Ivory Coast, now ranked 42nd globally.
The Super Eagles’ surge comes on the back of impressive performances in the ongoing 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying series, where they secured a 2–1 win over Lesotho in Polokwane and a dominant 4–0 victory against Benin Republic in Uyo.
These results not only earned Nigeria crucial qualification points but also sealed their place in the continental playoffs for the 2026 World Cup.
Nigeria will now face Gabon — ranked 77th in the world and 15th in Africa — in a decisive playoff tie. A victory would see the Super Eagles advance to the final qualification round, where either Cameroon or DR Congo could be their next opponents.
Across the continent, Morocco maintained their status as Africa’s highest-ranked team despite dropping one spot to 12th in the world. Senegal follow in second place on the continent and 18th globally, while Egypt (32nd) and Algeria (35th) sit third and fourth respectively, with Nigeria rounding out the top five.
Ivory Coast, Tunisia, Mali, Cameroon, and South Africa complete Africa’s top ten.
On the global stage, Spain continue to lead the FIFA rankings after back-to-back World Cup qualifying wins over Georgia and Bulgaria. Argentina climbed back to second following friendly victories against Venezuela and Puerto Rico, while France slipped to third after being held to a 2–2 draw by Iceland despite a 3–0 win over Azerbaijan earlier in the month.
Nigeria’s latest rise signals renewed momentum for the Super Eagles as they push toward a return to the world’s biggest football stage.
