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The Super Eagles of Nigeria have surged to 26th place in the latest FIFA World Ranking released on Monday, recording a remarkable 12-place jump after a remarkable 2025 Africa Cup of Nations campaign in Morocco.
The new ranking, the first of 2026, confirms Nigeria as one of the biggest movers in world football over the last ranking period. The Super Eagles have surged from 38th, where they ended 2025, to 26th in the world, a leap powered by an impressive gain of 79 ranking points.
FIFA, in a statement published on its official platform, noted that Nigeria’s haul represents the “most points scored” by any national team in the world in this ranking window.
The new position marks Nigeria’s highest place in the global rankings in over 15 years. The last time the Super Eagles reached a comparable height was in March 2010, when they climbed to 21st in the world following a strong run of results. Since then, the team have endured years of fluctuation, making this latest rise particularly significant.
Nigeria’s climb is clearly a direct reward for their outstanding performance at the recently concluded Africa Cup of Nations, where the Super Eagles finished third. They sealed the bronze medal by defeating Egypt in the third-place playoff, capping a tournament in which they were one of the most exciting and consistent teams.
Senegal went on to win the competition, beating hosts Morocco 1-0 in the final in Rabat, but Nigeria’s overall body of work across the tournament proved enough to earn them a huge boost in the global standings.
The Super Eagles won five and drew two of their seven matches in regulation time, with their only defeat coming in the semi-final against Morocco, which was decided on penalties. Over the course of the competition, Nigeria beat Tanzania, Tunisia, Uganda, Mozambique and Algeria, combining solid organisation with a fluent attacking style that drew praise across the continent.
Perhaps most telling of all was their goal return. Nigeria finished as the tournament’s highest scorers with 14 goals, surpassing their previous best tally of 12 at a single AFCON, and reinforcing the sense that this was a team playing with confidence, balance and ambition.
