Nigeria drop to fourth in Africa in latest FIFA rankings

Nigeria has slipped to fourth place in the latest FIFA Men's World Rankings for African nations, despite holding their 26th global position. This continental shift is attributed to Egypt's strong showing in the 2026 World Cup.

The Super Eagles, who have not played competitive matches since June, garnered 1,585.2 points. They remain ahead of countries like Turkey, Australia, Algeria, Canada, and Ivory Coast in the global standings. Nigeria's continental decline was largely influenced by Egypt's journey to the Round of 16 in the World Cup, where they were narrowly defeated by Argentina. This performance elevated Egypt to third in Africa.

Morocco retained its status as the continent's highest-ranked team, reaching the World Cup quarter-finals and climbing to sixth globally. Senegal remains Africa's second-ranked nation, though they dropped three places worldwide. Algeria, while slipping one spot globally, maintained its fifth position in Africa.

Nigeria's absence from the World Cup, a tournament now featuring 48 teams, was noted as a significant loss by figures like former England player John Terry. The Super Eagles missed the tournament for the second consecutive time, having failed to qualify for the 2022 edition in Qatar after losing a playoff to the Democratic Republic of Congo on penalties. An earlier appeal by the Nigeria Football Federation regarding alleged ineligible players was dismissed.