The Nigerian Super Eagles have achieved their best global standing since 2010, soaring to 26th place in the January 2026 FIFA men’s world rankings. This impressive 12-place ascent follows a stellar bronze-medal campaign at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco.
Under the guidance of Eric Chelle, Nigeria accumulated a world-leading 79.09 ranking points during the tournament window, securing six victories across seven matches and solidifying their position as the third-highest-ranked team in Africa.
Host nation Morocco also made history by breaking into the global top 10 for the first time in nearly three decades. Despite a narrow loss in the final, the Atlas Lions climbed to 8th place, displacing traditional European powerhouses like Belgium and Germany.
Meanwhile, the newly crowned continental champions, Senegal, moved up seven spots to reach 12th position, a new national record. These shifts reflect a seismic period for African football, with the Confederation of African Football (CAF) now boasting nine representatives within the world’s top 50.
Nigeria’s road to the 26th spot included dominant knockout wins over Mozambique and Algeria before a heartbreaking penalty shootout loss to Morocco in the semifinals. The Eagles displayed remarkable resilience by defeating Egypt in a third-place shootout to end the tournament on a high. While Spain, Argentina, and France continue to lead the global standings, the rise of African nations has reshuffled the top tier, with Croatia and Belgium sliding down the order. FIFA will release the next update to the world rankings on April 1, 2026.
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