Nigeria have climbed three spots to 38th in the latest FIFA men’s world ranking released on Wednesday, following a month that saw the Super Eagles feature in two competitive matches, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.
The updated table — based on 149 international games played since the last ranking — reflects Nigeria’s impressive 4–1 win over Gabon and their 1–1 draw with DR Congo, which ultimately ended in a narrow 4–3 penalty loss in the African World Cup play-off.
Despite the disappointment of missing out on the 2026 World Cup, the Super Eagles’ recent performances were still strong enough to push them higher in the global standings. Nigeria now sit on 1,502.46 points, placing them fifth in Africa, behind Morocco, Senegal, Egypt and Algeria.
Morocco continue to dominate African football with 1,713.12 points, followed by Senegal in 19th place with 1,648.07, Egypt in 34th with 1,520.68, and Algeria in 35th with 1,516.37.
A closer review of the rankings shows how competitive the teams surrounding Nigeria are. The Super Eagles hold a slim lead over Tunisia, ranked 40th with 1,497.13 points, and a more comfortable gap ahead of Ivory Coast (1,489.59) and DR Congo (1,442.50).
Meanwhile, Morocco maintain a commanding continental advantage, boasting a 210.66-point lead over Nigeria.
FIFA explained that the latest movements were influenced by results across world confederations and the conclusion of the final qualifying matches for the 2026 World Cup. At the global level, Spain retain their position at the top of the rankings, followed by world champions Argentina and France. Brazil’s rise to fifth created space for several other teams, including Nigeria, to shift upward.
For Nigeria, the jump to 38th provides a small measure of encouragement after the painful play-off loss in Rabat, where Frank Onyeka opened the scoring before Elia Meschack equalised and DR Congo clinched victory in the penalty shoot-out.
With the Africa Cup of Nations kicking off in December, Nigeria now have a timely opportunity to regain momentum. A strong campaign in Morocco could significantly boost their ranking and restore confidence ahead of future international fixtures.
