Nigeria’s Super Eagles have maintained their 26th position in the latest men’s world ranking released on Monday but dropped to fourth in Africa.
The latest rankings, published after the conclusion of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, saw the Super Eagles maintain their global standing despite changes among Africa’s top-ranked teams.
Nigeria’s only international fixture during the ranking period was a friendly against Portugal in June, where Eric Chelle’s side suffered a 2-1 defeat to the former European champions.
Although the result did not affect the team’s overall position in the world rankings, it was not enough to prevent the Super Eagles from losing ground on the African continent.
Egypt’s impressive World Cup campaign proved decisive in the latest continental rankings, allowing the North Africans to move ahead of Nigeria.
The Pharaohs climbed to third position in Africa following an impressive outing at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Egypt reached the Round of 16 before suffering a narrow 3-2 defeat to Argentina, who eventually finished as runners-up.
Their strong performances during the tournament earned them valuable ranking points, enabling them to move ahead of the Super Eagles.
Nigeria now occupies fourth place among African teams despite remaining 26th in the world.
Morocco retained its position as Africa’s highest-ranked national team after another impressive showing on the global stage.
The Atlas Lions reached the quarter-finals of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, continuing their remarkable rise in international football.
Their performances also saw them climb one place in the global rankings, moving from seventh to sixth in the world.
Senegal retained second place in Africa despite dropping three places globally.
Algeria completed the continent’s top five after slipping one position in the latest rankings.
Spain reclaimed the number one position in the FIFA rankings after winning the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
La Roja defeated defending champions Argentina in the final to lift the trophy and return to the summit of world football.
Argentina dropped to second place following the defeat in the final, while France maintained third position after another strong World Cup campaign.
England remained fourth in the latest rankings, with Brazil completing the top five teams in the world.
The changes at the top of the rankings reflect the impact of performances during the World Cup, which carries significant weight in FIFA’s ranking calculations.
The FIFA World Ranking serves as the official measurement of national teams’ performances based on results from competitive matches and recognised international friendlies.
With the World Cup concluded, national teams will now turn their attention to upcoming continental qualifiers, international friendlies, and preparations for future tournaments.
For the Super Eagles, the focus will be on returning to winning ways and improving their standing both globally and within Africa ahead of future international assignments.
FIFA confirmed that the next edition of the men’s world rankings will be published on Wednesday, October 7, 2026, providing another opportunity for teams to improve their positions through positive results in upcoming matches.
Packaged by Lanre Olabisi
