Nigeria’s Super Eagles have dropped to 45th in the latest FIFA Men’s World Ranking, marking their lowest position in six years, as the national team faces a challenging period on the international stage.
The slide from 44th to 45th globally represents Nigeria’s worst ranking since June 2019, when the team also sat at 45th, and is just above their all-time low of 46th in February 2019. Currently, the Eagles are outside the world’s top 40 and remain sixth in Africa, trailing Morocco, Senegal, Egypt, Algeria, and Côte d’Ivoire.
FIFA confirmed that over 200 international fixtures were considered in compiling the September rankings. Nigeria’s decline is largely attributed to a poor run of results, where the Eagles managed just two wins, two defeats, and a draw in the five matches under review.
A significant factor in the slump was the African Nations Championship (CHAN) in Tanzania, where Eric Chelle’s home-based squad was eliminated at the group stage. Nigeria lost 1-0 to Senegal, suffered a 4-0 defeat to Sudan, and secured a 2-0 win over Congo in their final match—results that damaged their ranking points despite a late win.
The main Super Eagles fared slightly better in the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, defeating Rwanda 1-0 in Uyo before settling for a 1-1 draw away to South Africa in Bloemfontein. However, the points gained were insufficient to prevent the team’s slide down the global rankings.
On the continental stage, Morocco strengthened its position as Africa’s top-ranked side, rising to 11th in the world after winning seven of nine matches since July, including the CHAN trophy. Senegal moved up to 18th, Egypt held steady at 35th, and Algeria fell to 38th. Ivory Coast rose to 44th, just ahead of Nigeria, while Tunisia jumped to 46th. Cameroon, South Africa, and Mali now occupy 52nd, 55th, and 56th, respectively.
Globally, Spain returned to the summit of the FIFA rankings for the first time since 2014, overtaking Argentina, which dropped to third behind France. Portugal, Croatia, and Italy also moved up within the top 10, while Germany fell to 12th following a defeat to Slovakia, which climbed ten places to 42nd.
The current rankings paint a worrying picture for Nigeria, which sits third in its World Cup qualifying group with 11 points—three behind Benin in second and four adrift of leaders South Africa. With only two matches remaining, Nigeria faces the risk of missing two consecutive World Cup tournaments, having already been denied a spot at Qatar 2022.
The Super Eagles will aim to recover ground in October, facing Lesotho away and Benin at home—fixtures critical for maintaining their World Cup qualification hopes. Anything less than two victories could deepen the crisis and prolong Nigeria’s stay outside the world’s top 40.
The next FIFA Men’s World Ranking will be published on 23 October 2025.
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