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Nigeria may not be heading to the 2026 FIFA World Cup, but the Super Eagles remain one of Africa’s highest-rated national teams according to the latest FIFA rankings released on the eve of the tournament, Footynaija reports.
Eric Chelle’s side retained third place in Africa and 26th position globally, keeping them comfortably ahead of several continental rivals, including South Africa and Ghana. Only Morocco and Senegal are ranked above Nigeria among African nations.
The latest standings reveal the progress made by the Super Eagles over the past year and a half. A major factor behind their rise was their impressive run at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, where they secured a third-place finish after victories over Tanzania, Tunisia, Uganda, Mozambique and Algeria before narrowly losing to Morocco in the semi-finals. Nigeria later defeated Egypt to claim the bronze medal, a result that helped push them into Africa’s top three.
Since then, the team have largely maintained their momentum. The Super Eagles recorded positive results during the 2026 international windows, including victories over Jordan, Zimbabwe and Jamaica, a draw against Iraq, and a respectable 2-2 result away to Poland. Their recent 2-1 loss to Portugal was not enough to affect their continental standing.
While Nigeria remain securely placed for now, the World Cup could reshape the rankings in the coming weeks. With no matches at the tournament, the Super Eagles cannot add ranking points, while African representatives such as South Africa, Morocco, Senegal, Algeria and Egypt have opportunities to strengthen their positions.
South Africa enter the World Cup ranked 11th in Africa and 60th in the world, while Ghana sit 14th on the continent and 73rd globally. Both nations remain some distance behind Nigeria despite their chance to earn points on football’s biggest stage.
At the top of the global rankings, Argentina reclaimed first place ahead of Spain and France. England, Portugal and Brazil occupy fourth, fifth and sixth respectively, while Morocco continue to lead Africa and remain among the world’s top ten teams.
