Nigeria have dropped to 45th in the latest FIFA Men’s World Ranking, equaling their lowest position in six years. The Super Eagles slipped one place from 44th, marking their worst standing since June 2019 and remaining sixth in Africa behind Morocco, Senegal, Egypt, Algeria, and Côte d’Ivoire.
FIFA said more than 200 international matches were considered in the September update. Nigeria’s struggles contributed heavily to the decline, with just two wins, two defeats, and a draw across five matches.
At the African Nations Championship in Tanzania, the home-based side crashed out at the group stage after losses to Senegal and Sudan, before beating Congo 2-0 in their final game. In World Cup qualifiers, the Super Eagles edged Rwanda 1-0 and drew 1-1 away to South Africa, but the results were not enough to boost their points.
Elsewhere in Africa, Morocco climbed to 11th globally as the continent’s best team, followed by Senegal (18th), Egypt (35th), Algeria (38th), and Ivory Coast (44th). Tunisia moved to 46th, just behind Nigeria, while Cameroon dropped to 52nd.
Globally, Spain returned to No.1 for the first time since 2014, ahead of France and Argentina. Portugal, Croatia, and Italy also moved up in the top 10, while Germany slipped to 12th. Slovakia made the biggest jump, climbing 10 spots to 42nd.
For Nigeria, the slide comes at a crucial time. The Eagles sit third in their World Cup qualifying group with 11 points, trailing leaders South Africa by four points and Benin by three. With only two matches left against Lesotho and Benin in October, anything short of victory could deepen the crisis and extend their stay outside the top 40.
The next FIFA Men’s World Ranking will be released on October 23, 2025.
