FIFA Rankings: Super Eagles Soar To 26th Globally, Third In Africa After AFCON Heroics
Nigeria’s Super Eagles have recorded a major leap in the latest FIFA Men’s World Rankings, climbing to 26th place globally and third in Africa following their outstanding performance at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco.
The rankings, released on Monday, show Nigeria rising 12 places from 38th to 26th — one of the biggest jumps recorded in the latest update — after finishing third overall at the continental tournament.
The Super Eagles also posted the highest points gain worldwide, earning +79.09 ranking points, a reflection of their consistency, resilience, and dominance across the competition.
Under head coach Eric Chelle, Nigeria enjoyed a remarkable AFCON campaign, winning six of their seven matches. The Super Eagles defeated Tanzania, Tunisia, Uganda, Mozambique, Algeria, and Egypt, showcasing tactical discipline, defensive solidity, and attacking efficiency throughout the tournament.
Nigeria’s only defeat came in a tense semi-final clash against hosts Morocco, where the Super Eagles were edged out on penalties after a hard-fought contest that ended level in regulation time.
Their third-place finish was sealed with a dramatic penalty shootout victory over Egypt, further underlining the team’s mental strength and tournament pedigree.
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The latest rankings confirm Nigeria as the third-best team in Africa, trailing only AFCON champions Senegal, who are ranked 12th globally, and Morocco, who sit eighth in the world after their run to the final on home soil.
Completing Africa’s top five are Algeria in fourth position and Egypt in fifth, both behind Nigeria in the continental standings.
On the global stage, Spain remain the world’s top-ranked team, followed by Argentina, France, England, Brazil, Portugal, the Netherlands, Morocco, Belgium, and Germany, who make up the current top 10.
Nigeria’s sharp rise in the rankings strengthens their standing ahead of upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers and reinforces growing optimism around Chelle’s squad as one of Africa’s most formidable sides.