Nigeria’s Super Eagles have dropped one place in the latest FIFA world ranking, moving from 43rd to 44th globally, according to the list released on Thursday.
Despite the slight drop, Nigeria remains one of the top football teams in Africa, keeping its position as the fifth-best on the continent. The Super Eagles sit behind Morocco, Senegal, Egypt and Algeria, but continue to lead long-time rivals South Africa and Ghana.
The new ranking follows recent mixed results for Nigeria, even as the team continues to adjust under new head coach Eric Chelle, who is yet to lose a match since taking over.
While Nigeria celebrated a Unity Cup win in London last month, their FIFA points were not enough to hold onto their previous position. Ivory Coast, who had gone above Nigeria after their AFCON victory, now sit just behind after dropping four places.
Africa’s top-ranked team remains Morocco, holding firm at 12th in the world. Senegal also moved up and now ranks 18th globally, thanks to a strong run of form.
The global top five teams—Argentina, France, Brazil, Belgium, and England—remained unchanged. However, Mexico’s Gold Cup win pushed them to 13th, ahead of the United States, who are now 15th.
Other notable movements include Norway rising to 33rd, Paraguay climbing to 43rd, and Costa Rica making the biggest jump—up 14 spots to 40th.
In Africa, Zambia gained five spots to sit at 83rd. Ghana remained far behind Nigeria at 76th, while South Africa is now 56th.
Although Nigeria dropped slightly, the team’s place among the top five in Africa is seen as a sign of strength. With qualifiers and major tournaments approaching, fans will be watching to see how far the Super Eagles can go under their new coach.
