The latest FIFA rankings released on Thursday has seen Nigeria climb up one place, moving to 43rd in the world.
The Super Eagles finished 2024 in 44th place after a series of lackluster performances during the international break at the end of the year. However, their 2-0 victory over Rwanda in Kigali and a 1-1 draw with Zimbabwe in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers in March provided a slight improvement in the latest rankings.
In Africa, Nigeria is ranked 6th, behind Morocco, Senegal, Egypt, Ivory Coast, and Algeria.
Globally, Argentina holds the top spot, followed by Spain in second and France in third. England and Brazil occupy fourth and fifth positions, respectively.
Among the other teams that secured World Cup qualification during the recent international window, Japan and Iran maintained their positions at 15th and 18th in the rankings. Meanwhile, New Zealand climbed three spots to 86th after securing their place in the 48-team tournament with a victory over New Caledonia.
