Nigeria’s Super Eagles have dropped one place to 44th in the latest FIFA World Rankings released on Thursday, despite gaining 2.91 points to reach a total of 1,484.26.
The three-time African champions, who were previously ranked 43rd, slipped one spot following recent performances, including a 2-1 win over Ghana and a penalty shootout victory against Jamaica to lift the Unity Cup in May. They also held Russia to a 1-1 draw in an international friendly played in Moscow in early June.
Although the team’s showing was positive, the ranking reflects the global football body’s point-based system which considers match importance, opposition strength, and other variables. The Super Eagles’ improvement in points was not enough to retain their previous spot, as other nations also recorded progress during the period under review.
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Nigeria now sits behind Paraguay and slightly ahead of Côte d’Ivoire, who dropped four places to 45th with 1,483.45 points following a string of less favourable results.
Africa ranking
In Africa, Nigeria ranks 5th—behind Morocco, Senegal, Egypt, and Algeria. Côte d’Ivoire, the reigning African champions, have fallen to 6th on the continental chart. The rest of Africa’s top 10 includes Tunisia, Cameroon, Mali, and South Africa.
Global ranking
Globally, Argentina retained the number one spot despite losing 0.8 points. Spain climbed to second after gaining 12.45 points, pushing France to third. England and Brazil complete the top five.
Portugal and the Netherlands moved up one place each to 6th and 7th respectively, with Portugal recording the biggest points gain among the top 10 nations, adding 20.45 points. Germany dropped one place to 9th despite maintaining the same points tally, while Italy slipped two places to 11th after losing 15.73 points.
Mexico made the most significant leap in the top 20, climbing four spots to 13th after gaining 42.79 points. The USA and Norway also recorded notable increases, each earning more than 20 points.
At the bottom of the log, San Marino remains the lowest-ranked national team in the world at 210th, with 738.24 points.
The Super Eagles will look to climb higher when the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers resume in September. The next FIFA rankings are scheduled for release on September 18.
FIFA rankings are updated periodically based on international match results. These standings influence seedings for major tournaments and reflect the current global football landscape.
