For the first time in six months, Nigeria’s Super Eagles are no longer among the top five teams in Africa, according to the latest FIFA World Rankings released on Thursday, April 4, 2025.
Despite moving up one place globally from 44th to 43rd, Nigeria was overtaken by Côte d’Ivoire, which climbed five spots to 41st, making them the fifth-best team in Africa.
Morocco remains the highest-ranked African team, holding 12th place in the world. Senegal follows in second, ranking 19th globally.
Egypt and Algeria also made slight progress, securing third and fourth positions in Africa, ranking 32nd and 36th in the world, respectively.
Côte d’Ivoire’s rise pushed Nigeria down to sixth in Africa, while Tunisia, now 49th globally, sits in seventh place. The last time Nigeria was outside Africa’s top five was in September 2024.
Super Eagles’ Ranking Decline
At the start of 2024, Nigeria was ranked 28th, benefiting from a strong performance at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations, where they reached the final but lost to hosts Côte d’Ivoire.
However, inconsistent performances and struggles in World Cup qualifiers have contributed to their decline.
In 2024, the Super Eagles played 15 matches, winning nine, drawing four, and losing five. While they secured qualification for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, their World Cup qualifying campaign has been disappointing.
Nigeria is currently fourth in their qualification group for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, making their chances of reaching the tournament in the USA, Canada, and Mexico more difficult.
The team’s 44th-place finish at the end of 2024 matched their lowest year-end ranking since December 2018. This is a sharp drop from previous years, with Nigeria finishing 42nd in 2023 and 35th in 2022.
Global Rankings Update
The latest FIFA/Coca-Cola Men’s World Ranking reflects results from 245 international matches, including World Cup qualifiers in Africa, Asia, Oceania, and South America, as well as Nations League and friendly matches in Europe and Concacaf.
Argentina remains the world’s top-ranked team after victories over Uruguay (1-0) and Brazil (4-1). Spain has moved up to second place, overtaking France, now third. England stays fourth, while Brazil completes the top five.
Other key changes in the top 10 include the Netherlands (6th) overtaking Portugal (7th), while Belgium (8th), Italy (9th), and Germany (10th) hold their positions. Croatia (11th) and Morocco (12th) are closing in on the top 10.
The next FIFA World Ranking update will be released on 10 July.
