Nigeria’s 4–1 win over Gabon and their 1–1 draw with DR Congo—followed by a narrow 4–3 penalty defeat in the African play-off—proved enough to push the team higher on the global list, even as the missed opportunity to qualify for the 2026 World Cup still lingers. Their revised total of 1,502.46 points keeps them within touching distance of Africa’s leading sides.
Across the continent, Morocco continue to set the pace with 1,713.12 points, comfortably ahead of Senegal, Egypt, and Algeria. Nigeria remain Africa’s fifth-ranked nation, perched just above Tunisia, who trail by a slim margin at 1,497.13 points. Further down the table, Ivory Coast and DR Congo maintain competitive but more distant positions with 1,489.59 and 1,442.50 points respectively. The gap separating Nigeria from Morocco, however, is a considerable 210.66 points, underscoring the challenge of breaking into the continental elite.
Globally, Spain hold firm at the summit, with Argentina and France closely following. Brazil’s two-place rise to fifth has subtly reshaped the upper tier, creating openings that benefited several mid-table nations, including Nigeria. FIFA attributed these shifts to results across confederations and the final round of matches tied to 2026 World Cup qualification.
For the Super Eagles, the ranking improvement offers a modest but welcome lift after the dramatic play-off in Rabat. Frank Onyeka’s early strike had given Nigeria hope of securing a place at the expanded 48-team finals in Canada, Mexico, and the United States, but Elia Meschack’s equaliser and the ensuing penalty shoot-out dashed those hopes.
Attention now turns to what lies ahead. With the Africa Cup of Nations set for December in Morocco, Nigeria have a timely chance to reinforce—or even improve—their continental and global standing. A strong performance at the tournament could further reshape their trajectory in the months leading into 2025.