JUST IN: Super Eagles drop one place in latest FIFA rankings

The Super Eagles of Nigeria have experienced a decline in the latest FIFA Coca-Cola world ranking, falling to the 40th position.

This ranking, which was officially released on Thursday, September 21st on FIFA’s website, sees Nigeria currently occupying the sixth position in Africa. The top five positions on the continent are held by Morocco (1st), Senegal (2nd), Tunisia (3rd), Algeria (4th), and Egypt (5th).

Interestingly, Nigeria’s 2026 FIFA World Cup Group C qualifying opponents have not fared much better. Lesotho, who are set to face Nigeria in the qualifiers’ opening game in November, have dropped to the 152nd position. South Africa and Benin Republic also experienced declines, slipping to the 65th and 94th places, respectively. Zimbabwe maintained their 125th spot, while Rwanda held onto the 139th position.

Furthermore, Saudi Arabia, slated to play a friendly against the Super Eagles in October, also dropped to the 57th position.

Argentina has solidified its position at the top of the ranking after securing a 1-0 victory over Ecuador and a 3-0 away win against Bolivia in the opening FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifiers.

France, in the second position, has lost some ground following a 2-1 friendly defeat against Germany. Meanwhile, Brazil (3rd), England (4th), and Belgium (5th) have maintained their places in the top five rankings, which have remained unchanged since the July 2023 edition of the global ranking.

Croatia (6th), the Netherlands (7th), and Portugal (8th) follow closely behind. Italy (9th) has slipped down a spot after being held to a 1-1 draw away to North Macedonia in the UEFA EURO 2024 qualifier. The top-ten lineup is rounded out by Spain.

The next FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking update is scheduled for October 26th.