FIFA Confirms SportsNow Exclusive: Nigeria Rise to 26th in Latest Rankings
FIFA has officially confirmed SportsNow’s exclusive projection that Nigeria would climb to 26th place in the January 2026 FIFA/Coca-Cola Men’s World Ranking, marking the Super Eagles’ highest position in 16 years.
Earlier on Monday morning, SportsNow broke the story, reporting that Nigeria were set to leap from 38th at the end of 2025 to 26th following their unbeaten run in open play at the 35th Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), which concluded Sunday in Morocco.
The Eagles scored a record 14 goals, the most by any nation in the tournament, and won their first five matches for the first time in their AFCON history.
FIFA’s update later in the day confirmed the Nigerian surge, alongside other African success stories.
Hosts Morocco, silver medalists, rose to an all-time high of 8th, returning to the top 10 for the first time since 1998. Champions Senegal climbed seven places to 12th, smashing their previous best of 17th and cementing their status as Africa’s new kings.
The reshuffle came at the expense of European heavyweights, with Croatia (11th) dropping out of the top 10, while Belgium (9th) and Germany (10th) each slipped one place.
Other African nations also enjoyed notable gains: Cameroon (45th, up 12), Algeria (28th, up 6), Egypt (31st, up 4), Côte d’Ivoire (37th, up 5), and DR Congo (48th, up 8).
Spain, Argentina, and France continue to occupy the top three spots.
