Nigeria's national team climbs the ladder in new FIFA standings, securing third spot on the continent

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FIFA has released its latest world rankings following a busy March international window, with Nigeria’s Super Eagles holding steady after a promising set of results.

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The Super Eagles remain 26th in the world, the same position they reached earlier this year after a strong showing at the Africa Cup of Nations.

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Recall Nigeria recorded five wins and two draws in that tournament, with the draws decided on penalties.

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Eric Chelle’s side defeated Tanzania, Tunisia, Uganda, Mozambique, and Algeria before losing to Morocco in the semi-finals and then beating Egypt in the third-place play-off.

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Despite strong showings in March, including a 2-1 victory over Iran and a 2-2 draw with Jordan, Nigeria remained in 26th place in FIFA’s latest rankings.

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Other teams saw minor adjustments. Iran slipped from 20th to 21st after consecutive defeats, while Jordan moved up from 64th to 63rd following draws with Nigeria and Costa Rica. In Africa, Morocco remain the highest-ranked side, followed by Senegal and Nigeria in third. Algeria, Egypt, Ivory Coast, Tunisia, Cameroon, DR Congo, and South Africa complete the continent’s top ten.

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Looking ahead, the rankings could shift dramatically with the next World Cup, where ten African teams will feature. Nigeria will not participate after losing their play-off against DR Congo and will have to wait until September to begin their qualifying campaign for the 2027 AFCON.

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At the global level, France have risen to number one, overtaking Spain after an impressive March, which included wins over Colombia and Brazil. Spain, meanwhile, were held to a goalless draw by a ten-man Egypt, following a comfortable victory over Serbia. Argentina are third, England fourth, Portugal fifth, and Brazil sixth, with the Netherlands, Morocco, Belgium, and Germany rounding out the top ten.

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FIFA is set to release its next rankings update on 10 June 2026, a point at which the global landscape could already look very different as focus shifts fully to the World Cup.

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