Nigeria’s Super Eagles have suffered another setback in the latest FIFA/Coca-Cola Men’s World Ranking, slipping two places to 45th globally and falling out of Africa’s top five football nations.
The September 2025 update marks the third consecutive drop for the three-time African champions, who were ranked 43rd in April and 44th in July.
The latest rankings see Nigeria drop to sixth place on the African continent, overtaken by Côte d’Ivoire, who climbed to 44th in the world following a string of positive results.
Here is the current top 10 in Africa (Global ranking in parentheses):
- Morocco (11th)
- Senegal (18th)
- Egypt (35th)
- Algeria (38th)
- Côte d’Ivoire (44th)
- Nigeria (45th)
- Tunisia (49th)
- Cameroon
- South Africa
- Mali
Morocco continues to lead Africa’s rankings, boosted by their early 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification, while Senegal, Egypt, and Algeria maintain strong positions within the top four.
Nigeria’s downward trend is directly tied to their inconsistent recent form, with just two wins in their last five matches, along with two losses and a draw. The Super Eagles are currently third in Group C of the African World Cup qualifiers, trailing South Africa and Benin Republic, with only two matches left to turn things around.
The slump has raised concerns among fans and analysts about Nigeria’s preparedness for the 2026 World Cup, with growing pressure on the coaching staff and players to improve performance.
On the global stage, Spain have reclaimed the No. 1 spot in the world rankings for the first time since 2014, thanks to their UEFA EURO 2024 triumph. They leapfrog world champions Argentina, who drop to third, while France now sit second.
Notable global movements:
- Germany fell to 12th after a surprise defeat to Slovakia.
- Slovakia climbed ten places to 42nd, just ahead of Nigeria.
- Paraguay (37th), Uganda (82nd), The Gambia (115th), and Madagascar (108th) all made significant gains.
- Canada (26th) and Kosovo (91st) reached all-time high rankings.
- Morocco (11th, up 1) remain on the cusp of the global top 10, with eight wins in their last nine matches.
With two matches left in the group stage of the Africa World Cup qualifiers, the Super Eagles must secure victories to revive their World Cup hopes and prevent further damage to their international standing. The next FIFA World Rankings update is scheduled for October 23, 2025.
