Nigeria retains its FIFA ranking at 38th globally in December 2025, remaining fifth in Africa despite no competitive matches
Nigeria retained its position in the December 2025 FIFA men’s world rankings, remaining 38th globally, according to the latest update released by world football’s governing body on Monday.
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The Super Eagles maintained their November points total of 1,502, having not played any competitive fixtures since the previous ranking was published.
Nigeria ranked fifth among African nations, trailing Morocco, Senegal, Egypt and Algeria in the continental standings.
Morocco remained Africa’s highest-ranked team, holding 11th place globally after its victory at the FIFA Arab Cup Qatar 2025.
Senegal followed in 19th position worldwide, while Algeria and Egypt occupied 34th and 35th places respectively, leaving Nigeria close behind at 38th.
Other African teams in the continent’s top 10 included Tunisia in 41st place, Côte d’Ivoire at 42nd, Mali ranked 53rd, DR Congo 56th and Cameroon 57th globally.
At the top of the global rankings, Spain continued to lead after reclaiming first place from Argentina in September 2025.
France remained third, while England, Brazil, Portugal, the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany and Croatia completed an unchanged top 10.
The December edition, which closed the football calendar for 2025, followed 42 international fixtures, with the FIFA Arab Cup dominating the period.
Morocco’s tournament triumph brought the Atlas Lions within 0.54 points of breaking into the world’s top 10 for the first time since April 1998.
Elsewhere, Kosovo emerged as one of the year’s standout performers, climbing 19 places to 80th after recording seven wins and two draws in 10 matches. Norway, Suriname, Jordan, Vietnam and Singapore also posted notable gains in the latest update.
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Nigeria’s steady Nigeria FIFA ranking highlights stability in the national team’s global standing, but also underlines the need for improved performances as the Super Eagles continue their campaign at AFCON 2025.
David Okere is a journalist and contributor to Freelanews.com, covering business, governance, public affairs, and human-interest stories with a commitment to accuracy, balance, and public interest reporting.
