Nigeria’s Super Eagles slid to 45th in the FIFA Men’s World Rankings released on September 18, 2025, marking a continued decline from 43rd in April and 44th in July, and dropping to sixth in Africa, overtaken by Côte d’Ivoire, as their faltering 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign dims hopes of reaching the finals.

The three-time African champions, hampered by a patchy record of two wins, two losses, and a draw in their last five matches, now trail Morocco (11th globally), Senegal (18th), Egypt (35th), Algeria (38th), and Côte d’Ivoire (44th) on the continent.

Tunisia (49th), Cameroon, South Africa, and Mali round out Africa’s top ten. Nigeria’s third-place position in Group C of the World Cup qualifiers, behind South Africa and Benin Republic with only two matches left, has fueled the slide, exacerbated by a recent 1-1 draw against South Africa.

Globally, Spain reclaimed the top spot—last held in 2014—after their UEFA EURO 2024 victory, nudging Argentina to third and France to second.

Germany plummeted to 12th after a stunning qualifier loss to Slovakia, which soared ten spots to 42nd.

Other risers include Paraguay (37th, up 6), Uganda (82nd, up 6), The Gambia (115th, up 8), and Madagascar (108th, up 7). Morocco’s climb to 11th, just shy of the global top ten, reflects eight wins in nine recent matches, while Canada (26th) and Kosovo (91st) hit historic highs.