FIFA rankings: Super Eagles drop to 30th, sixth in Africa

The Super Eagles have dropped four places to 30th in the latest FIFA/Coca-Cola Men’s World Ranking and slipped from fourth to sixth in Africa following a difficult September-October international window.

Nigeria’s points tally fell by 17.05 from 1,585.02 to 1,567.97 in the ranking released on Wednesday, 7 October 2026.

The three-time African champions began the window with a 2-1 comeback victory over Madagascar in a 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier in Uyo before suffering a 3-0 defeat to Guinea-Bissau in Bissau.

Nigeria then ended the window with a 3-3 draw against Russia in Nizhny Novgorod, but the result was not enough to prevent the Super Eagles from losing ground in the latest ranking.

Super Eagles lose ground in Africa

Nigeria’s fall from fourth to sixth means Algeria and Côte d’Ivoire have moved ahead of the Super Eagles.

Algeria are now 28th in the world with 1,574.77 points, while Côte d’Ivoire climbed two places to 29th with 1,569.32 points.

Nigeria sit just behind the Elephants on 1,567.97 points, leaving a gap of less than two points between the two West African sides.

Morocco remain Africa’s highest-ranked team despite dropping to seventh globally. Senegal are second on the continent and 18th in the world, while Egypt occupy third place in Africa at 25th globally.

The top six in Africa are therefore Morocco, Senegal, Egypt, Algeria, Côte d’Ivoire and Nigeria.

Guinea-Bissau make significant rise

Guinea-Bissau were among the biggest beneficiaries of the latest ranking after their 3-0 victory over Nigeria.

The Djurtus climbed eight places to 124th globally after gaining 35 points, according to the latest ranking data.

The result came after Guinea-Bissau had previously been ranked below Nigeria by a significant margin, but their victory in Bissau provided a major boost to their standing.

Rwanda recorded the biggest rise among African teams in the ranking, moving nine places to 119th, while The Gambia climbed seven places to 109th.

Botswana also moved six places to 141st, while Mozambique rose five places to 98th.

Mali, South Africa break into top 50

Mali and South Africa were among the other African sides to make notable progress.

Mali climbed six places to 47th globally, while South Africa also moved six spots to 48th.

Their progress means Africa now has 10 teams inside the global top 50, with DR Congo, Cameroon, Mali and South Africa joining Morocco, Senegal, Egypt, Algeria, Côte d’Ivoire and Nigeria.

The movement reflects the impact of the recent Africa Cup of Nations qualifying fixtures on the latest FIFA ranking.

Spain retain top spot

At the summit of the global ranking, world champions Spain extended their lead at the top with 2,011.57 points.

Argentina remain second on 1,972.80 points, while France are third and England fourth.

Portugal were the only team to move within the top 10, climbing two places to fifth and overtaking Brazil, who dropped to sixth. Morocco are seventh, followed by Belgium, the Netherlands and Mexico.

Switzerland also made a significant move, climbing to 12th, while Norway jumped 12 places to 19th.

FIFA said 338 men’s internationals have been played since the 2026 World Cup final on 19 July, with the results of those matches contributing to the latest movement in the ranking. (FIFA+⁠)

Nigeria face chance to recover

The Super Eagles will have another opportunity to regain some of the ground lost when the next FIFA international window arrives.

With Nigeria now sixth in Africa, positive results in their upcoming fixtures will be important if Eric Chelle‘s side are to climb back towards the continent’s leading positions.

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