Nigeria’s Super Eagles have risen three places to 38th in the latest FIFA men’s world rankings, according to the updated table released following the 2026 World Cup qualifying window.
The jump comes despite Nigeria’s failure to secure World Cup qualification after a 1–1 draw with DR Congo and a 4–3 defeat in the penalty shoot-out in the playoff. The ranking rise is largely credited to Nigeria’s 4–1 victory over Gabon, which contributed valuable points under FIFA’s ranking system.
On the African continent, Nigeria now sit 5th behind Morocco (11th), Senegal (19th), Egypt (34th) and Algeria (35th). Although the ranking improvement offers some consolation, the bigger task remains ahead performing strongly at the upcoming African Cup of Nations and locking in future progress.
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Editorial
The Super Eagles’ climb to 38th in the world rankings is, on the surface, a modest advancement. But in football’s subtle economy of momentum, even modest shifts matter. What this tells us is that Nigeria’s national team, despite the trauma of missing the World Cup, retains a footprint of strength.
A 4–1 win over Gabon is not undermined by a subsequent penalty-shootout exit to DR Congo rather it hints at potential left raw by the miss. The ranking rise bears witness to their capacity to dominate when given space, to impose themselves when the stakes are moderated. But potential alone is not enough.
What stands out is the paradox Nigeria currently sit among Africa’s top five teams in the rankings, yet will not feature in the 2026 World Cup. That discrepancy between ranking and qualification begs deeper questions about consistency, about high-pressure execution, and about translating classroom dominance into finals readiness.
If this moment is to count, it must serve as a pivot. The ranking ascent provides a platform the looming Cup of Nations offers a test. For Nigeria, the message must be clear rankings are not trophies, they are signals. The next step is to convert those signals into performance, into progress, into proof.
Did You Know?
- Nigeria now hold 1,502.46 ranking points, according to the latest FIFA update.
- Their 4–1 win over Gabon was the key competitive result behind the rise in the rankings.
- The 1–1 draw with DR Congo (and the penalty defeat) was officially recorded by FIFA as a draw — therefore it did not carry the full negative weighting of a straight defeat.
- Tunisia now trail Nigeria in the rankings, sitting at 40th with 1,497.13 points — a gap of just about five ranking points.
- The ranking update considered 149 matches, including 79 friendlies, across the latest qualifying cycle.
