Nigeria’s men’s football team has experienced a slight decline in the latest FIFA rankings for November, dropping two places from their previous position.
The Super Eagles, previously ranked 40th globally in October, now sit at the 42nd spot, marking a decline of 16 points. This shift in ranking was primarily influenced by the team’s underwhelming start to the 2026 World Cup qualifiers earlier in the month.
Under the leadership of Jose Peseiro, the team began their World Cup qualification journey with a 1-1 draw against Lesotho at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium in Uyo. Their performance didn’t improve in the subsequent match against Zimbabwe, resulting in another disappointing 1-1 draw in Rwanda.
The outcomes from these qualifiers only earned the Eagles two points out of a possible six, leaving them trailing behind Rwanda and South Africa in Group C.
The team’s lackluster displays during these qualifiers were the sole games considered for the rankings released by FIFA on Thursday, leading to Nigeria’s drop by two positions.
Within the African continent, the three-time African champions maintain their sixth position, while Morocco continues to hold the top spot at 13th globally. Senegal follows closely in second place, maintaining their 20th position in the world rankings.
Tunisia notably climbed up four spots globally after securing victories against Sao Tome and Principe and Malawi in their World Cup qualifying matches. Previously ranked 32nd in the world, they now hold the 28th spot, maintaining their third position in Africa.
Algeria and Egypt also witnessed a two-place advancement to the 30th and 33rd positions globally, completing the top five positions in Africa.
Despite losing a game to Uruguay in the qualifiers, World Cup winners Argentina continue to hold the top position in the FIFA rankings.
France and England secured the second and third positions respectively, with Belgium dropping to fourth place. Brazil’s defeat to Argentina caused them to slide down to the fifth spot in the world rankings.
