By Ibrahim Adebowale
Nigeria’s Super Eagles have climbed three places to 38th in the latest FIFA World Rankings, despite failing to secure qualification for the 2026 World Cup after losing to DR Congo in a dramatic penalty shoot-out.
FIFA published the updated rankings on Wednesday following 149 international fixtures played during the final rounds of the 2026 World Cup qualifying window.
Before the update, Nigeria sat 41st globally and fifth in Africa.
The team’s rise is largely attributed to their emphatic 4–1 victory over Gabon in the qualifying series, which gave them significant ranking points. Their eventual defeat to DR Congo in the playoff final — officially recorded as a draw due to FIFA rules on penalty shoot-outs — did not negatively impact their ranking.
Nigeria remains among Africa’s top five teams, behind Morocco (11), Senegal (19), Egypt (34), and Algeria (35).
On the global stage, Spain, Argentina, France and England maintained their positions as the top four national teams. Brazil moved up to fifth, leapfrogging the Netherlands and Portugal, while Germany and Croatia completed the top 10.
