Nigeria’s Super Eagles have maintained their position as the third-ranked team in Africa and 26th globally in the latest FIFA rankings released ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America.

Although the Super Eagles failed to qualify for the Mundial, the team’s performances under coach Eric Chelle over the past 18 months have reflected steady progress and consistency on the international stage.

Nigeria remains behind only Morocco and Senegal on the African continent, while regional rivals such as South Africa and Ghana continue to rank below the three-time African champions.

The Super Eagles’ strong showing at the last Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), their successful defence of the Unity Cup in London, and a recent international friendly draw against Poland helped the team maintain its current ranking.

Nigeria’s 12-match unbeaten streak, however, came to an end earlier this week following a 2-1 defeat to Portugal in a pre-World Cup friendly played in Leiria.

Portugal, ranked fifth in the world and led by Cristiano Ronaldo, took the lead through Chelsea forward Pedro Neto in the 23rd minute. Nigeria responded before halftime as Jerome Akor equalised in the 39th minute after being set up by Fisayo Dele-Bashiru. Substitute Francisco Conceição eventually secured victory for the hosts with a 75th-minute winner.

A positive result against Portugal could have further improved Nigeria’s standing in the latest FIFA rankings.

The Super Eagles had surged from 38th to 26th in the world rankings following their impressive AFCON campaign, reaching their highest FIFA position in five years. Since then, they have managed to maintain that ranking through a series of encouraging performances.

Morocco remains Africa’s highest-ranked nation and sits seventh globally, while Senegal occupies second place on the continent.

Algeria is ranked fourth in Africa, followed by Egypt in fifth and Côte d’Ivoire in sixth.

On the global stage, world champions Argentina have reclaimed the number one position, moving ahead of France. Spain occupies second place, while France drops to third. England remains fourth, with Portugal fifth, Brazil sixth, Morocco seventh, the Netherlands eighth, Belgium ninth and Germany completing the top 10.