Super Eagles maintain world ranking but drop in Africa
Nigeria’s Position in Latest Rankings
The Super Eagles of Nigeria have maintained their 26th position in the latest FIFA men’s world rankings. However, the team has experienced a shift in their continental standing, dropping to fourth place in Africa following the most recent update released on Monday. This change comes despite no recent matches played by Eric Chelle‘s side since their 2-1 defeat to Portugal in an international friendly in June, a result that did not significantly alter their global standing.
The decline in the African rankings for Nigeria is primarily attributed to the strong performance of other African nations in the recent 2026 FIFA World Cup. While the Super Eagles did not participate in the tournament, failing to qualify among the ten African countries that featured, several other teams made notable advancements.
Continental Shifts and Global Leaders
Egypt‘s impressive run at the 2026 FIFA World Cup was a key factor in the continental reshuffle. The Pharaohs climbed five spots, displacing Nigeria from the third position in Africa. Their journey in the tournament saw them reach the Round of 16, where they were eventually defeated 3-2 by Argentina, who were the eventual runners-up.
Morocco continues to hold the top spot as Africa’s highest-ranked team. The Atlas Lions achieved a significant milestone by reaching the quarter-finals of the 2026 World Cup, which also propelled them up one place globally, moving from seventh to sixth. This places them just one spot away from equalling the highest ranking ever achieved by an African team, a feat Nigeria accomplished in April 1994.
Senegal has retained its second-place position in Africa, despite a global drop of three places in the world rankings. Algeria, which slipped one place globally, completes Africa’s top five teams, securing the fifth position on the continent.
At the pinnacle of the global rankings, Spain has returned to the number one spot. The newly crowned world champions dethroned Argentina, who dropped to second place after their loss in the World Cup final. Spain secured their second World Cup title by defeating Argentina 1-0 on Sunday.
The top five global positions are rounded out by France, who remain third, England, who retain their fourth position, and Brazil, who climbed to fifth. Portugal experienced a drop of two places, now ranking seventh globally, following their Round of 16 exit at the World Cup.
Other notable movements in the global rankings include Belgium moving up to eighth, swapping places with the Netherlands, who dropped to ninth. Mexico climbed four places to enter the top 10. Norway saw the most significant jump, moving up 12 places to 19th after reaching the World Cup quarter-finals. Germany fell out of the top 10, dropping to 12th, one place ahead of Croatia. Italy, who did not qualify for the World Cup, slipped to 15th.
Among other African nations, Tunisia experienced the largest fall, dropping 12 places to 57th. Egypt‘s strong performance saw them climb five spots to 24th, while Paraguay rose seven places to 34th after reaching the World Cup last 16. Cabo Verde, who reached the Round of 32, climbed three places to 64th, one position ahead of Ghana, who moved up eight places. The next update to the FIFA men’s world rankings is scheduled for October 7, 2026.
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Source: vanguardngr.com
