The Super Eagles of Nigeria have recorded a significant jump in the latest FIFA Men’s World Rankings, climbing four places to 41st in the world and returning to the top five in Africa.
The new ranking, released by FIFA on Friday, marks Nigeria’s highest position since October 2024, when the three-time African champions were ranked 36th globally.
The Super Eagles’ rise comes on the back of a strong run in the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.
Eric Chelle’s men earned a hard-fought 2–1 away win against Lesotho at the Peter Mokaba Stadium in Polokwane before recording a commanding 4–0 victory over Benin at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium in Uyo.
Those results not only boosted Nigeria’s ranking points but also confirmed their qualification for the African playoffs of the 2026 World Cup.
The team will now face Gabon in the playoff semi-final, with a potential final clash against either Cameroon or DR Congo for a spot at the global finals to be hosted in Canada, Mexico, and the United States.
The Atlas Lions of Morocco remain Africa’s highest-ranked team, though they dropped one place to 12th globally.
Senegal stay second on the continent and 18th worldwide, while Egypt and Algeria follow in third and fourth after improving to 32nd and 35th, respectively.
Nigeria’s resurgence pushes them back into fifth place, overtaking Côte d’Ivoire, who fell to sixth.
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Further down the list, Tunisia (49th), Cameroon (50th), South Africa (54th), Mali (56th), and Ghana (58th) complete Africa’s top ten.
Globally, Spain continue to lead the rankings after strengthening their hold on the top spot with consecutive victories in the European World Cup qualifiers.
The reigning European champions first reclaimed the No. 1 position in September, ending Argentina’s long reign.
World champions Argentina have now moved up one place to second, while France dropped to third after being held to a 2–2 draw by Iceland. England and Portugal round out the top five, maintaining their positions from the previous edition.
The Netherlands climbed to sixth, leapfrogging Brazil, who fell to seventh. Belgium, Italy, and Germany complete the top ten, with the Germans returning to the elite bracket after a brief spell outside it.
This month’s update follows an intense round of 173 national-team matches, including FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifiers across five continents and several high-profile friendlies.
Among the notable climbers, Hungary (37th, up 4), Scotland (38th, up 5), Nigeria (41st, up 4), and Romania (47th, up 4) all reaped the rewards of strong performances.
Further down, Niger made the biggest jump of the month, rising nine places to 108th after a series of solid results. Lesotho and the Faroe Islands also climbed nine places each, with the latter earning global attention after a shock win over Czechia.
Kosovo (84th, up 7) achieved their highest-ever ranking, while Syria (86th, up 6) and Liberia (138th, up 6) also made steady progress. On the flip side, Greece (48th, down 8) and Sweden (40th, down 8) suffered the biggest drops following disappointing World Cup qualifying results.
FIFA’s next ranking update is scheduled for 21 November, following another round of World Cup qualifiers.
(Editor: Paul Akhagbemhe)
