The Super Eagles of Nigeria have ascended to 43rd place in the world, as indicated by the first FIFA Rankings of the year published on Thursday.
This marks a modest improvement for the Nigerian squad, which concluded 2024 in 44th position, their lowest ranking in six years, following a significant decline from their 28th place at the beginning of the year.
In 2025, the Super Eagles have participated in two matches, both for World Cup qualification. They secured a 2-0 victory against Rwanda at the Amahoro Stadium in Kigali, but a late equalizer from Zimbabwe denied them a second win at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium in Uyo.
As a result of these performances, the Super Eagles have moved up to fourth in their group for the 2026 World Cup qualification, although they still face the risk of not qualifying for the tournament in the USA, Canada, and Mexico.
The initial FIFA Rankings for 2025 showed no changes in the top 10 teams since December. Argentina retained its position as the world’s top team, while Spain surpassed France to take second place. The top 10 is rounded out by England, Brazil, the Netherlands, Portugal, Belgium, Italy, and Germany.
In Africa, Morocco remains the highest-ranked team, now sitting at 12th globally. Senegal (19th), Egypt (32nd), Algeria (36th), and Ivory Coast (41st) complete the continent’s top five, with Nigeria dropping from fifth to sixth since December.
Myanmar experienced the most significant rise, climbing seven spots to 162nd, while Guinea-Bissau faced the largest decline, falling to 128th. Bosnia and Herzegovina gained the most points (+24.16), whereas Iraq suffered the biggest loss (-29.46).
To enhance their performance and further develop under coach Eric Chelle, the Super Eagles are set to play a friendly match against Russia on June 6. They will also participate in the 2025 Unity Cup, which will take place in London from May 27-31.
The next FIFA World Rankings are scheduled for release on July 10, 2025.
