Nigeria’s men’s football team has suffered a slight setback in the latest FIFA rankings, dropping two places from their previous position to the 42nd spot globally. This decline of 16 points is primarily attributed to the team’s underwhelming start to the 2026 World Cup qualifiers earlier in the month.
Under the guidance of manager Jose Peseiro, the Super Eagles’ World Cup qualification campaign began with a disappointing 1-1 draw against Lesotho at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium in Uyo. Their performance failed to improve in the subsequent match against Zimbabwe, resulting in another lackluster 1-1 draw in Rwanda.
The outcomes from these qualifiers earned the Eagles a mere two points out of a possible six, leaving them trailing behind Rwanda and South Africa in Group C.
Nigeria’s underwhelming displays during these qualifying matches were the sole games considered for the rankings released by FIFA on Thursday, leading to the team’s two-position drop.
Despite this setback, the three-time African champions maintain their sixth position within the African continent. Morocco continues to hold the top spot in Africa, while Senegal maintains their 20th position globally.
Tunisia notably climbed up four spots globally after securing victories against Sao Tome and Principe and Malawi in their World Cup qualifying matches. They now hold the 28th spot, maintaining their third position in Africa.
Algeria and Egypt also witnessed a two-place advancement to the 30th and 33rd positions globally, completing the top five positions in Africa.
Meanwhile, despite losing a game to Uruguay in the qualifiers, World Cup winners Argentina continue to hold the top position in the FIFA rankings. France and England secured the second and third positions respectively, with Belgium dropping to fourth place.
Brazil’s defeat to Argentina caused them to slide down to the fifth spot in the world rankings.
