Nigeria has maintained its position in the December 2025 FIFA men’s world rankings, staying 38th globally in the latest release issued on Monday.
The Super Eagles did not record any movement in the rankings after playing no competitive matches since the previous update, retaining their November points total of 1,502.
Among African teams, Nigeria remains fifth on the continent, behind Morocco, Senegal, Egypt and Algeria. Morocco continues to lead Africa and is ranked 11th in the world, while Senegal sits 19th globally. Algeria and Egypt are placed 34th and 35th respectively, with Nigeria following closely at 38th.
Other African sides in the continental top 10 include Tunisia, ranked 41st globally, Côte d’Ivoire in 42nd place, Mali at 53rd, DR Congo at 56th, and Cameroon at 57th.
At the global level, Spain remains top of the rankings after reclaiming first place from Argentina in September 2025. France occupies third position, while England, Brazil, Portugal, the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany and Croatia complete the top 10, with no changes from the previous ranking.
The December 2025 rankings, the final edition for the year, were influenced by 42 international matches, with the FIFA Arab Cup Qatar 2025 serving as the main highlight. Morocco’s triumph at the tournament moved them within touching distance of the world’s top 10 for the first time since April 1998, leaving them just 0.54 points behind Croatia.
Several teams recorded notable progress during the year, including Kosovo, which climbed 19 places to 80th after winning seven and drawing two of its 10 matches in 2025. Norway rose to 29th, while Suriname advanced to 123rd. Jordan, Vietnam and Singapore registered the biggest gains in December, each moving up between two and three places.
Nigeria’s unchanged position points to consistency in performance but also highlights the need for improvement as the team looks to climb the rankings during the ongoing AFCON 2025.
