Nigeria’s performance in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers reverberated their FIFA rankings as they slipped two spots to 42nd in the global ranking for November, following a disappointing start to the qualifiers that left fans disheartened.
The Super Eagles, previously standing at the 40th position, encountered a significant drop of 16 points, with their lacklustre performance against Lesotho and Zimbabwe dimming their standing in the international football arena.
During the World Cup qualification series, Jose Peseiro’s men kicked off with a disheartening 1-1 draw against Lesotho at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium in Uyo. This was followed by another underwhelming performance, where they again settled for a 1-1 draw in Rwanda against Zimbabwe. These results translated to a mere two points out of a possible six, seeing them lagging behind Rwanda and South Africa, who claimed the first and second positions in their Group C.
Within the African continent, the three-time African champions found themselves in the sixth spot. Meanwhile, Morocco maintained its top-ranking position in Africa and secured 13th place globally, with Senegal close behind at 20th.
In a contrasting turn of events, Tunisia made significant strides during November by clinching victories against Sao Tome and Principe and Malawi in their World Cup qualifiers. This triumph catapulted them four places up in the global ranking, from 32nd to 28th, while cementing their third position in Africa.
The shuffling continued with Algeria and Egypt climbing two places each to secure the 30th and 33rd positions in the world, rounding up the top five positions in Africa.
Amid the African football dynamics, the global landscape witnessed Argentina maintaining their top spot despite suffering a defeat to Uruguay in the qualifiers. At the same time, France and England claimed the second and third positions, respectively. Brazil’s defeat to Argentina led to their descent to fifth place.
The Super Eagles’ stumble in the FIFA rankings serves as a wake-up call, prompting introspection and the need for a resilient comeback as they strive to reclaim their standing on the global football stage.
