The Super Eagles fell to 38th place in the latest FIFA rankings, which were revealed on Thursday.
The Super Eagles now have 1498.93 points, down from their previous total of 1520.27.
This decline represents a fundamental shift in the global football environment as the Super Eagles face issues on the international stage.
Nigeria’s drop from 30th place came after their performance in the two post-African Cup of Nations matches, when they finished second after losing 2-1 to the host nation.
In recent games, the Super Eagles drew 1-1 with South Africa’s Bafana Bafana at Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, and lost 2-1 to Benin Republic in the Ivory Coast.
The Super Eagles’ ambitions for the 2026 World Cup Qualifiers remain uncertain, as the country failed to win these critical matches.
Meanwhile, Argentina remained at the top of the standings, cementing its place as the world’s leading football nation.
The South American powerhouses added 2.14 points, raising their total to 1860.14, demonstrating their sustained high-level success in recent competition.
FIFA rankings are based on the Elo model, which takes into account team strength, match importance, and results.
Liberia is the top climber in the rankings, moving up 10 spots to 142nd. Liberia also scored the most points, with 37.47.
Equatorial Guinea saw the worst decrease, sliding 10 ranks and losing 47.53 points, indicating a major drop in their ranking.
However, the second and third places in the new standings remain unchanged, with France and Belgium holding on to their positions. France continues to dominate the football world, finishing second for the second consecutive month with a rating of 1840.59 points.
Despite a slight drop of 3.12 points from its previous ranking, the French team remains a powerful force in international football.
Following closely after is Belgium, which remains in third place with a rating of 1795.23 points, a 2.75-point gain.
Belgium’s solid performance in recent matches has helped it preserve its place in the top echelon of global football. Meanwhile, Brazil has climbed up to fourth place, surpassing England.
The Brazilian team now has a rating of 1788.65 points, up 3.2 points from its previous standing.
This rise shows Brazil’s good recent performance and continuous efforts to recover the top spot. In an unexpected turn of events, England dropped to fifth place after losing 7.02 points, finishing with a rating of 1794.9 points.
Meanwhile, despite a 1.07-point reduction, Portugal remained in sixth place with a rating of 1748.11.
Croatia has made tremendous progress, rising to ninth position with a 7.23-point rise, bringing its total to 1721.07.
Italy rounds off the top ten, keeping its position despite a 0.23-point fall, with a rating of 1724.6.
Morocco is the best-ranked African team, sitting in 12th place. Senegal is rated 18th.
Egypt and Cote d’Ivoire were third and fourth on the continent, respectively, ahead of Nigeria, which ranked fifth in the world.
The duo placed 36th and 37th, respectively. Tunisia placed 41st, followed by Algeria at 44th in the new FIFA ranking.
