Nigeria has retained its 38th position in the latest FIFA men’s world rankings released in December 2025.
The Super Eagles held on to their November points total of 1,502, having not played any competitive matches since the last ranking update.
The three-time African champions remain the fifth-best ranked team on the continent, trailing Morocco, Senegal, Egypt and Algeria.
Morocco continues to lead Africa’s standings at 11th in the world, while Senegal sits 19th globally. Algeria and Egypt are ranked 34th and 35th respectively, with Nigeria following closely at 38th.
Other African countries in the continent’s top 10 include Tunisia (41st), Côte d’Ivoire (42nd), Mali (53rd), DR Congo (56th) and Cameroon (57th).
On the global stage, Spain remain top of the rankings after reclaiming the number one position from Argentina in September 2025. France are third, while England, Brazil, Portugal, the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany and Croatia complete the top 10, with no changes recorded from the previous ranking.
The December 2025 ranking, the final edition of the year, followed 42 international matches, with the FIFA Arab Cup Qatar 2025 dominating the calendar.
Morocco’s triumph at the tournament pushed the Atlas Lions closer to a historic return to the world’s top 10 for the first time since April 1998, as they trailed Croatia by just 0.54 points.
Kosovo emerged as one of the standout teams of 2025, climbing 19 places to 80th after registering seven wins and two draws from 10 matches.
Norway (29th) and Suriname (123rd) also recorded notable improvements, while Jordan (64th), Vietnam (107th) and Singapore (148th) posted the biggest gains in December, moving up between two and three places.
Nigeria’s steady ranking highlights stability in the national team’s fortunes but also points to the need for improved performances as the country continues its AFCON 2025 campaign.