Nigeria’s Super Eagles have climbed three places to 38th in the latest FIFA world ranking, despite their failure to qualify for the 2026 World Cup in North America.
The new ranking, released on Wednesday, comes after a busy international window in which 149 matches were played across the world. For Nigeria, the rise offers a small but important consolation after their dramatic campaign in the African World Cup qualifying play-offs.
The Super Eagles moved up from 41st to 38th following a series of strong performances in Morocco. Their biggest boost came from the impressive 4–1 extra-time victory over Gabon in the semi-final, a result that earned Nigeria valuable ranking points.
Victor Osimhen scored twice in that match, while Chidera Ejuke netted his first senior international goal. Their display helped Nigeria reach the play-off final and improved their standing in FIFA’s rating system, which rewards results from competitive matches more heavily.
Nigeria were eventually knocked out by DR Congo after a 1-1 draw that ended in a 4-3 defeat on penalties. However, the overall campaign still provided enough points to push the Super Eagles up the global ranking table.
The rise to 38th place shows that, despite missing the World Cup, Nigeria remain one of Africa’s strongest football nations and continue to move forward on the international stage.
