Nigeria Drops from 36th to 44th in Latest FIFA Rankings

The Super Eagles of Nigeria have experienced a significant drop in the latest FIFA rankings, falling from 36th to 44th in the world. This eight-place decline, announced on Thursday, November 28, marks Nigeria’s biggest fall in recent years.

The drop is largely attributed to their disappointing performance in their most recent international match, where they suffered a surprising 2-1 loss to Rwanda in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.

The defeat ended Nigeria’s unbeaten streak in the qualifying series, which had been maintained until their home match at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium in Uyo.

Before their defeat to Rwanda, the Super Eagles had secured a 1-1 draw with Benin Republic at the Stade Felix Houphouet-Boigny in Abidjan, Ivory Coast. This draw earned them a spot in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Morocco.

According to the latest FIFA rankings on the official website, Argentina remains the top-ranked team in the world. Meanwhile, Niger is the biggest climber, jumping from 131st to 122nd position and earning the most points (31.23) in the rankings.

Meanwhile, Comoros has emerged as the highest-ranked team in the latest FIFA rankings, climbing to 103rd, while DR Congo experienced the most significant loss of points, with a drop of 35.53 points.

Nigeria’s eight-place decline has resulted in them being ranked 5th in Africa, slipping one position from their previous 4th spot. This marks the Eagles’ largest drop since February 2024, when they surged from 42nd to 28th globally and moved up to 3rd in Africa, recording their most significant leap since 2013.

Morocco retained its position as the top-ranked team in Africa, although they dropped one place to 14th in the world. Senegal follows closely in second place, climbing three positions to 17th globally.

Egypt held onto their third position in Africa, despite slipping three places globally, now ranked 33rd in the world.

Algeria moved ahead of Nigeria to claim 4th place in Africa, maintaining their 37th spot in the global rankings.

Meanwhile, World Cup champions Argentina remain the top-ranked team in the world, despite suffering a loss to Paraguay in the qualifiers.

France secured second place, while Spain, England, and Brazil rounded out the top five in the global rankings.