Nigeria has maintained its position in the latest FIFA men’s world rankings, remaining 38th globally in the December 2025 edition released on Monday.
The Super Eagles’ ranking was unchanged after a quiet period with no competitive international fixtures since the previous update, leaving their points total steady at 1,502.
On the African continent, Nigeria remains fifth, behind Morocco, Senegal, Egypt and Algeria. Morocco continue to lead Africa, sitting 11th in the world rankings, followed by Senegal in 19th place. Algeria and Egypt are ranked 34th and 35th respectively, just ahead of Nigeria.
Other African nations in the continental top 10 include Tunisia (41st globally), Côte d’Ivoire (42nd), Mali (53rd), DR Congo (56th) and Cameroon (57th).
At the global level, Spain retained top spot after reclaiming first place from Argentina in September. France stayed third, while England, Brazil, Portugal, the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany and Croatia completed an unchanged top 10.
The December rankings, which are the final release of 2025, were influenced by 42 international matches, with the FIFA Arab Cup Qatar 2025 playing a key role. Morocco’s success at the tournament moved them within touching distance of the world’s top 10, trailing Croatia by just 0.54 points.
Elsewhere, Kosovo emerged as one of the year’s biggest climbers, rising 19 places to 80th after a strong run of results. Norway (29th) and Suriname (123rd) also made notable gains, while Jordan, Vietnam and Singapore recorded the largest upward movements in December.
Nigeria’s steady ranking highlights consistency, but also underlines the need for improved results as the Super Eagles continue their campaign at the ongoing AFCON 2025.
