FIFA ranking: Nigeria fall to 30th as Algeria, Côte d’Ivoire overtake Super Eagles
Nigeria have dropped to 30th in the latest FIFA men’s world ranking after a difficult international window saw the Super Eagles lose ground both globally and in Africa.
Eric Chelle’s side fell four places from 26th after a mixed run that began with a comeback win over Madagascar before a heavy defeat to Guinea-Bissau and a 3-3 draw against Russia.
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Super Eagles lose African top-five spot
The October ranking, released by FIFA on Wednesday, October 7, places Nigeria sixth in Africa, behind Morocco, Senegal, Egypt, Algeria and Côte d’Ivoire.
Algeria climbed to 28th globally, while Côte d’Ivoire moved up to 29th, pushing Nigeria down the continental order after the Super Eagles had entered the period fourth in Africa.
Nigeria had been ranked 26th in the previous ranking with 1,585.2 points following their 2-1 friendly defeat to Portugal in June.
The latest decline follows a difficult period for Chelle’s team, which opened the international window with a 2-1 comeback victory over Madagascar.
That result offered some encouragement after Nigeria’s failure to qualify for the 2026 World Cup, but the positive feeling quickly disappeared in Bissau.
Guinea-Bissau inflicted a 3-0 defeat on the Super Eagles in the AFCON 2027 qualifying campaign, dealing a significant blow to Nigeria’s ranking position.
By the time Nigeria faced Russia in Nizhny Novgorod, the Super Eagles had dropped to 31st in the provisional ranking and were behind Morocco, Senegal, Egypt, Côte d’Ivoire and Algeria.
Russia draw not enough to prevent slide
Nigeria ended the window with a dramatic 3-3 draw against Russia on October 6.
The Super Eagles fought back from 3-1 down to rescue a point, with the result providing some relief after the Guinea-Bissau defeat.
However, the draw was not enough to recover the ranking points lost in Bissau, leaving Nigeria 30th in the official October standings.
Morocco remain Africa’s highest-ranked nation in sixth place, followed by Senegal, Egypt, Algeria, Côte d’Ivoire and Nigeria. DR Congo, Cameroon, Mali and Tunisia complete Africa’s top 10.
Spain retain top spot in the global ranking, ahead of Argentina, France, England and Brazil. Portugal, Belgium, the Netherlands and Mexico complete the global top 10.
Norway were among the biggest movers, climbing 12 places to 19th, while Mexico rose four places to enter the top 10. Switzerland also made significant progress, moving up five places to 14th.