Nigeria’s Super Eagles have fallen four places in the latest FIFA Men’s World Ranking, dropping from 26th to 30th in the world and slipping to sixth place in Africa.

The October ranking, released on Wednesday, October 7, 2026, put Nigeria on 1,567.97 points, representing a decline of 17.05 points from the previous 1,585.02.

The movement follows a mixed international window for Eric Chelle’s side, who recorded one win, one defeat and one draw across their three matches.

Nigeria opened the window with a 2-1 victory over Madagascar in a 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying fixture in Uyo on September 25.

The Super Eagles, however, suffered a disappointing 3-0 defeat to Guinea-Bissau before travelling to Russia, where they produced an entertaining comeback to draw 3-3 with the hosts in Nizhny Novgorod.

Nigeria had fallen three goals behind against Russia before fighting back to secure a share of the spoils, but the impressive recovery was not enough to prevent the team from losing ranking points.

The latest ranking means the three-time African champions have now dropped out of the continent’s top five.

Morocco remain Africa’s highest-ranked national team, climbing to seventh globally with 1,805.34 points. Senegal occupy second position in Africa and 18th worldwide, followed by Egypt in 25th.

Algeria and Côte d’Ivoire have moved ahead of Nigeria, occupying 28th and 29th positions globally, respectively, while Nigeria sit 30th.

The movement further down the African ranking also saw several teams make significant progress. Mali and South Africa both climbed six places, moving to 47th and 48th respectively in the world rankings.

Cameroon and the Democratic Republic of Congo also improved their positions during the latest ranking update.

At the top of the global table, Spain retained the number-one position, with Argentina second, France third and England fourth.

Portugal moved up to fifth place, pushing Brazil down to sixth, while Morocco’s rise to seventh ensured that an African team remained firmly among the world’s top-ranked sides.

For Nigeria, the latest decline will add pressure ahead of upcoming international fixtures, particularly as the Super Eagles continue preparations for the 2027 AFCON qualifying campaign.

The team’s ability to turn strong performances into consistent results will be crucial if Nigeria are to recover their position among Africa’s leading football nations.

Reporting by TalkNaijaMedia