Nigeria’s Super Eagles have recorded a positive shift in the latest December FIFA men’s world ranking, rising three places to 38th, despite the lingering disappointment of missing out on the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The ranking, released on Wednesday, reflects results from 149 international fixtures played worldwide since the last update.
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Nigeria’s climb was powered by their 4–1 win over Gabon and the 1–1 draw with DR Congo, a match that later ended in a penalty shoot-out defeat in the African play-off.
Although the play-off loss in Rabat ultimately denied the Eagles a spot at the expanded 48-team World Cup, the overall performances were enough to boost their global points tally to 1,502.46, keeping them firmly within Africa’s top five.
Nigeria trail only Morocco, Senegal, Egypt and Algeria on the continent, highlighting the competitive pack in Africa’s upper tier.
Morocco continue to lead African football with 1,713.12 points, followed by Senegal on 1,648.07, Egypt on 1,520.68, and Algeria with 1,516.37 points.
Nigeria sit just ahead of Tunisia, who are 40th with 1,497.13, while Ivory Coast and DR Congo remain lower down the regional ladder.
Globally, Spain retain the number one position, with Argentina and France completing the top three. Brazil’s two-place rise to fifth also contributed to shifts within the top 10.
For the Super Eagles, the December rise offers a small but meaningful consolation after the World Cup setback.
Their play-off defeat came after Frank Onyeka gave Nigeria an early lead, before Elia Meschack equalised to force penalties.
With the Africa Cup of Nations kicking off in December, Nigeria now have a fresh opportunity to strengthen their ranking further.
A strong AFCON campaign in Morocco could push the Super Eagles back toward the world’s top 30 and re-establish momentum as the team looks ahead to future competitive cycles.
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