The Super Eagles of Nigeria have moved up four places to 41st in the latest FIFA Men’s World Rankings, officially reclaiming their position among Africa’s top five footballing nations.
The updated rankings, released by FIFA on Friday, October 17, highlight Nigeria’s steady progress under coach Eric Chelle following a strong performance in their recent 2026 World Cup qualification games. The Super Eagles, who were previously ranked 45th globally, successfully leapfrogged the Ivory Coast, who dropped to 42nd.
Nigeria’s climb was fuelled by back-to-back victories in the qualifiers. They first secured a crucial 2-1 away win over Lesotho in Polokwane before delivering a dominant 4-0 victory against the Benin Republic in Uyo. These results not only boosted their ranking points but also secured their place in the African playoffs for the 2026 World Cup.
The Super Eagles will next face Gabon, currently ranked 77th in the world and 15th in Africa, in the playoff semi-final for a spot in the final playoff round. Should they progress, a showdown with either Cameroon or DR Congo will follow for the right to advance to the intercontinental playoffs.
African and Global Overview
On the continental scene, Morocco remains Africa’s highest-ranked side despite slipping one spot to 12th globally. The African top five are now:
Morocco (12th globally)
Senegal (18th globally)
Egypt (32nd globally)
Algeria (35th globally)
Nigeria (41st globally)
Completing Africa’s top ten are the Ivory Coast, Tunisia, Mali, Cameroon, and South Africa.
Globally, Spain continues to lead the FIFA rankings after a strong run in World Cup qualifying, defeating Georgia and Bulgaria. World champions Argentina climbed back to second place after friendly wins over Venezuela and Puerto Rico, while France dropped to third following a 2-2 draw against Iceland.
