A Big Miss, Says Terry As Nigeria Top African Absentees List
Nigeria’s Super Eagles have emerged as the second-highest-ranked team absent from the 2026 FIFA World Cup, holding firm at 26th in the latest FIFA Men’s World Ranking even as the expanded 48-nation tournament gets under way across the United States, Mexico and Canada.
Only Denmark, ranked 21st globally, sits higher among countries that failed to qualify for football’s biggest event. The placing sharpens the sense of loss around Nigeria’s absence, coming despite the team’s resurgence under coach Eric Chelle and a steady climb up the global ladder over the past year.
England and Chelsea legend John Terry was among those who lamented the three-time African champions’ exclusion.
“Nigeria will be a big miss. This is a World Cup for participants who haven’t had the opportunity to play in the tournament. I would have loved to see a top team like Nigeria there because they’ve got some great individuals. They’re a great nation,” Terry said during a virtual roundtable organised by SuperSport.
He added, “I think they are a big miss because Nigeria probably would have gone further in the competition, but unfortunately, one side’s loss is another’s gain.”
The road to this point was punishing. Chelle’s side finished second in Group C of the CAF World Cup qualifiers behind South Africa, who secured automatic qualification. The Super Eagles kept their hopes alive with a playoff semi-final win over Gabon before falling 4-3 on penalties to DR Congo following a 1-1 draw after extra time in Rabat on November 16, 2025.
Frank Onyeka opened the scoring before Meschak Elia equalised, and captain Chancel Mbemba converted the decisive spot-kick after Semi Ajayi’s miss in the shootout.
The defeat condemned Nigeria to a second successive World Cup absence after Qatar 2022. It marked the country’s first absence from consecutive editions since the 2018 tournament, which the Super Eagles reached but exited at the group stage. The Nigeria Football Federation later challenged DR Congo’s qualification, alleging the use of ineligible players, but the appeal was dismissed.
Yet the ranking carries a quieter consolation. Nigeria’s 26th place is the country’s highest FIFA position in almost a decade, lifted by their third-place finish at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, where they rose 12 places and were among the biggest movers. For context, the Super Eagles closed 2023 in 42nd and 2024 in 44th, while their all-time high is fifth and their lowest ever 82nd.
Despite missing the World Cup, the Super Eagles remain Africa’s third-highest-ranked team behind Morocco, who sit seventh in the world, and Senegal. Algeria and Egypt complete the continent’s top five, while domestically the gap is stark, with South Africa down in 60th and Ghana in 73rd.
At the summit, defending champions Argentina lead the world rankings ahead of Spain, France, England and Portugal, with Brazil sixth, followed by Morocco, the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany. The next FIFA World Ranking is due on July 20, a day after the World Cup final, by which point Nigeria’s eyes will already be fixed on rebuilding for 2030.