Nigeria’s national football team has moved up slightly to 43rd in the latest FIFA rankings released on Thursday, but dropped one spot on the African continent, now sitting sixth among its peers.
This small global rise follows a difficult 2024 campaign, where the Super Eagles ended the year in 44th, their lowest in over half a decade. In contrast, they began the previous year in 28th place.
Their movement in the rankings is largely attributed to their recent World Cup qualifiers.
A win against Rwanda and a home draw with Zimbabwe have helped Nigeria accumulate seven points across six matches, placing them fourth in their qualification group.
Morocco continues to dominate African rankings, holding the 12th position worldwide.
The rest of Africa’s top five include Senegal (19th), Egypt (32nd), Algeria (36th), and Côte d’Ivoire (41st). Nigeria, which previously held fifth place in December, now lags behind them.
At the global level, Argentina maintained its hold as the number one team.
Spain moved ahead of France into second place, with England, Brazil, Netherlands, Portugal, Belgium, Italy, and Germany completing the top ten — all unchanged from December.
Among other notable changes, Myanmar jumped seven spots to rank 162nd, while Guinea-Bissau suffered the biggest fall, now at 128th. Bosnia and Herzegovina earned the most ranking points, while Iraq saw the largest loss.
To boost their standing ahead of the July 10 ranking update, the Super Eagles will engage in international fixtures, starting with the 2025 Unity Cup in London between May 27 and 31. They are also set to play a friendly against Russia on June 6.