Nigeria’s national football team, the Super Eagles, experienced a setback in the latest FIFA world ranking, dropping from 28th to 30th position.
The rankings, released by world football governing body FIFA on Thursday, April 4, 2024, saw Nigeria occupying the third spot in Africa, behind Morocco and Senegal.
Morocco claimed the top position in Africa and secured the 13th spot globally, while Senegal followed closely in second place on the continent and 17th place worldwide.
The Eagles’ decline in ranking comes after their impressive climb in the previous release, where they surged 14 places to reach the 28th position. This significant rise was attributed to their performance in the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations in Côte d’Ivoire, where they finished as runners-up.
The fluctuation in rankings also affected Nigeria’s opponents in Group C of the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers. South Africa’s national team, Bafana Bafana, dropped to the 59th position, while Benin Republic, who will host the Nigerian team, climbed to the 97th spot in the rankings.
Meanwhile, the top spots in the global ranking remained unchanged, with World Cup champions Argentina maintaining their position at number one. They were followed by France in second place, Belgium in third, England in fourth, and Brazil in fifth place. Portugal, Netherlands, Spain, Italy, and Croatia completed the top 10 teams in the world.
The next FIFA world ranking update is scheduled to be published on June 20, 2024, as football enthusiasts eagerly anticipate further shifts in team standings.
