Nigeria Falls in FIFA Rankings While South Africa and Benin Surge Ahead

Nigeria’s Super Eagles have slipped one spot to 45th in the newest FIFA World Rankings, raising alarms about their shaky campaign to secure a place in the 2026 World Cup, according to Soccernet.ng.

This ranking represents Nigeria’s lowest standing in half a decade, with the reigning African champions, Côte d’Ivoire, surpassing them to claim 44th position.

The decline mirrors the Super Eagles’ inconsistent performances in Group C of the African qualifiers, where they currently occupy third place.

Meanwhile, South Africa, Nigeria’s main competitors in the qualifying group, have experienced a notable surge.

Bafana Bafana climbed to 55th after a commanding 3-0 victory against Lesotho and a 1-1 draw with Nigeria earlier this month. This marks their best ranking since 2021, when they were positioned as low as 75th.

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Elsewhere in Group C, Benin Republic is gaining momentum under the guidance of coach Gernot Rohr. Their back-to-back wins over Lesotho (4-0) and Zimbabwe (1-0) have propelled them to 93rd place. Conversely, Zimbabwe has dropped to 125th, Rwanda remains at 127th, and Lesotho has fallen to 153rd.

On the continental front, Morocco continues to lead Africa’s rankings, rising to 11th globally and surpassing Germany. Senegal follows closely at 18th. The Atlas Lions have already secured their spot in the World Cup with two games remaining.

Egypt, Algeria, and Côte d’Ivoire round out Africa’s top five, with Nigeria now positioned sixth on the continent.

On the global stage, Spain has claimed the top spot, ending Argentina’s tenure as number one. France holds second place, followed by Argentina in third, England fourth, and Portugal fifth. Brazil, once dominant, now ranks sixth.

The situation is critical for Nigeria. With 11 points from eight matches, they trail group leaders South Africa by six points. Only the group winner earns automatic qualification for the World Cup hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

To keep their World Cup dreams alive, the Super Eagles must secure victories in their remaining qualifiers against Lesotho (away) and Benin (home) next month. Failure to do so could result in missing the tournament for the second time in eight years-a scenario unimaginable for one of Africa’s football powerhouses.