FIFA RANKINGS: NIGERIA FALLS TO 4TH IN AFRICA, REMAIN 26TH GLOBALLY
By: Gyang Dakwo
Nigeria has kept its 26th position in the latest FIFA Men’s World Rankings, but the Super Eagles have fallen to fourth among African teams after Egypt’s strong showing at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Eric Chelle’s team remained on 1,585.2 points in the rankings released on Monday, staying ahead of Turkey, Australia, Algeria, Canada and Ivory Coast, who occupy the next six positions behind them.
The drop on the African table came after Egypt reached the Round of 16 at the World Cup, a run that helped the Pharaohs move above Nigeria and claim third place on the continent.
Egypt’s journey ended with a narrow 3 – 2 defeat to Argentina, but their performance in the tournament was enough to improve their global standing and affect Nigeria’s position among Africa’s leading football nations.
Morocco remain Africa’s highest-ranked team after their impressive World Cup campaign saw them reach the quarter-finals. The Atlas Lions also moved up the global ranking, climbing from seventh to sixth position.
Senegal retained second place in Africa despite falling three places in the world rankings, while Algeria dropped one place globally but stayed fifth on the continent.
Nigeria remain the second-highest ranked country among teams that failed to qualify for the 2026 World Cup. Only Denmark, who sit 21st in the world, are ranked higher among the nations that missed the tournament.
The Super Eagles have not played a competitive match since June, when they lost 2 – 1 to Portugal in an international friendly.
Nigeria’s failure to qualify for the World Cup followed a difficult qualification campaign. They finished second in Group C behind South Africa, who secured the automatic ticket, before advancing through the playoff route with a semi-final victory over Gabon.
Their final chance ended in disappointment as they lost to the Democratic Republic of Congo on penalties in the playoff final, missing out on the World Cup for the second consecutive time after also failing to qualify for the 2022 tournament in Qatar.
The Nigeria Football Federation later challenged DR Congo’s qualification, alleging that the country used ineligible players, but the appeal was dismissed.
At the top of the global rankings, world champions Spain returned to number one after winning the 2026 World Cup. Argentina dropped to second place, while France, England and Brazil completed the top five.
FIFA will release the next edition of the Men’s World Rankings on Wednesday, October 7, 2026.
