Despite failing to secure the African World Cup Qualifying Play-off ticket after losing 4–3 on penalties to DR Congo on Sunday, Nigeria’s Super Eagles have moved up three places to 38th in the latest FIFA Rankings, Bold Sports reports.
World football governing body FIFA released the updated rankings on Wednesday, following the conclusion of the latest round of qualifiers for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The window saw teams either book direct qualification or secure places in the intercontinental play-offs.
The Super Eagles were ranked 41st in the world as of October 2025 and fifth in Africa.
According to FIFA, a total of 149 matches, including 79 friendly games, were played since the previous rankings update, contributing to the latest changes on the global table.
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Nigeria’s rise can be attributed largely to their 4–1 victory over Gabon during the African World Cup Qualifying Play-off Tournament in Morocco last week. The convincing win helped the Super Eagles climb three spots to No. 38, despite their eventual defeat to DR Congo in the final, a result that will be recorded as a draw for ranking purposes, as matches decided by penalty shootouts are treated as draws in FIFA’s system.
Nigeria also maintained their position among Africa’s top five teams, sitting behind Morocco (11), Senegal (19), Egypt (34), and Algeria (35). The new rankings show Ivory Coast dropping from sixth to seventh on the continent, with Tunisia climbing above them.
On the global stage, the top four, Spain, Argentina, France, and England, held their positions. Brazil moved up two spots to fifth, overtaking both the Netherlands and Portugal. Portugal slipped to sixth, the Netherlands to seventh, Belgium remained eighth, while Germany and Croatia completed the top 10.”
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