Nigeria have retained 26th place in the latest FIFA Men’s World Rankings released following the conclusion of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, despite missing the tournament.
While the Super Eagles‘ position in the global standings remains unchanged, they have slipped to fourth in the African rankings after Egypt overtook them on the back of an impressive World Cup campaign.
Nigeria did not feature at the expanded 48-team tournament after finishing behind South Africa in their qualifying group before suffering defeat to DR Congo in the play-offs. As a result, the Super Eagles were unable to earn or lose ranking points during the World Cup, while nations competing at the tournament saw their standings adjusted according to their performances.
The unchanged global ranking leaves Nigeria in 26th place, but the latest continental standings now place them behind Morocco, Senegal and Egypt.
Egypt climbed above the Super Eagles after recording their best-ever FIFA World Cup campaign. The Pharaohs reached the Round of 16 before their tournament ended with a narrow 3-2 defeat to Argentina in the knockout stages. Their performances lifted them to 24th in the world rankings and third among African nations.
Morocco continue to lead the continent after another successful World Cup. Their run to the quarter-finals helped them climb to sixth in the global standings, maintaining their position as Africa’s highest-ranked team.
Senegal remain second on the continent despite falling three places in the world rankings to 18th overall.
Nigeria’s drop to fourth in Africa comes even though their global position has not changed, highlighting the impact of Egypt’s progress at the World Cup rather than any movement by the Super Eagles themselves.
Algeria complete Africa’s top five, occupying 29th place in the world despite slipping one position in the global rankings.
The latest FIFA rankings also reflect changes at the top of world football following the conclusion of the World Cup.
Spain have returned to the summit of the global rankings after defeating Argentina 1-0 in the 2026 FIFA World Cup final. The victory saw Spain reclaim the number one position, while Argentina dropped to second after finishing runners-up.
France and England occupy third and fourth places respectively, completing the world’s top four national teams in the updated rankings.
Although Nigeria were absent from the World Cup, they remain among the highest-ranked countries that failed to qualify for the tournament.
Their continued presence in 26th place has been supported by results achieved before the World Cup, including a third-place finish at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.
The Super Eagles also enjoyed a productive opening half of 2026 under head coach Eric Chelle. During that period, the team won the Unity Cup invitational tournament in London, adding valuable ranking points before the World Cup began.
The latest standings underline the influence of World Cup performances on FIFA’s ranking system, with participating nations gaining or losing points according to their results. For Nigeria, missing the tournament meant their overall position remained unchanged, although Egypt’s historic campaign was enough to move the Pharaohs ahead of the Super Eagles in the African hierarchy.
