Nigeria's senior men's national football team, the Super Eagles, has concluded 2025 ranked 38th globally in the final FIFA/Coca-Cola Men's World Ranking of the year, released on Monday, December 22, 2025. The position remains unchanged from the November update, marking a stable finish to a year of fluctuating performances that ultimately saw the team improve six places from its starting rank of 44th.
The December ranking, the last of 2025, incorporated results from 42 international matches worldwide, including those from the FIFA Arab Cup Qatar 2025. Nigeria, inactive in December following its World Cup qualification playoff exit, held steady with approximately 1,502 points. This places the Super Eagles among the world's top 40 teams—a modest achievement amid the disappointment of missing the expanded 2026 FIFA World Cup after a penalty shootout defeat to DR Congo in November.
On the continental front, Nigeria ends the year as Africa's fifth-ranked team (some reports note sixth due to minor variances in counting), trailing Morocco (11th globally), Senegal (19th), Algeria (34th), and Egypt (35th). Other notable African teams include Tunisia (41st), Côte d’Ivoire (42nd), Mali (53rd), DR Congo (56th), and Cameroon (57th). The Super Eagles' historical average ranking stands at 39th, aligning closely with their current standing, while their all-time high is 5th and low is 82nd.
Globally, European champions Spain retained the top spot, defending the position reclaimed from Argentina in September 2025. The full top 10 remained static: Spain (1st), Argentina (2nd), France (3rd), England (4th), Brazil (5th), Portugal (6th), Netherlands (7th), Belgium (8th), Germany (9th), and Croatia (10th). Notable climbers of the year include Kosovo, who rose 19 places to 80th.
2025 proved a mixed bag for Nigeria. The year began with a climb to 43rd in April, but dips followed to 44th in July and 45th in September. A late resurgence in October (up to 41st) and November (to 38th) provided uplift, though the World Cup qualification failure overshadowed gains. The team's silver medal at the 2023 AFCON (played in early 2024) had earlier boosted rankings significantly.
Attention now turns to the ongoing TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) 2025 in Morocco, running from December 21, 2025, to January 18, 2026. Placed in Group C with Tanzania, Tunisia, and Uganda, the three-time champions (1980, 1994, 2013) aim for a fourth title and potential ranking boost. A strong performance could propel Nigeria higher when the next rankings drop on January 19, 2026—one day after the AFCON final.
Under head coach Éric Chelle, the Super Eagles enter the tournament with renewed focus, hoping to leverage talents like Victor Osimhen, Ademola Lookman, and Wilfred Ndidi to overcome recent setbacks and reclaim continental dominance.
This end-of-year ranking offers cautious optimism for Nigerian football fans, signaling recovery potential as the team eyes redemption in Morocco.
