The Super Eagles ended the 2024, ranking 44th in the world, their lowest position in six years, according to the final FIFA World Rankings released on Thursday.
This marks a sharp decline for the Nigerian team, who began the year in 28th place following a strong showing at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations, where they finished as runners-up to hosts, Ivory Coast in February.
The Super Eagles played 15 matches in 2024, winning nine, including the awarded victory in the cancelled game against Libya, drawing four, and losing five. Despite their efforts, inconsistent performances, particularly in the World Cup qualifiers, contributed to their slide down the rankings.
Nigeria currently sit fifth in their 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification group, which has six teams, leaving them with a difficult task of securing a spot at the tournament in the USA, Canada, and Mexico.
The final FIFA rankings for 2024 reflected no changes among the top 113 teams from last month. Argentina maintained their position as the world’s number-one team, followed by France, Spain, England, and Brazil. Portugal, the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, and Italy completed the top 10.
In Africa, Morocco continued to lead the continent, ending the year in 13th place globally. Senegal (17th) and Algeria (33rd) rounded out Africa’s top three, while Nigeria, once ranked fourth earlier in the year, fell to fifth.
The Eagles’ 44th-place finish mirrors their position in December 2018, making it their joint-worst year-end ranking in recent memory.
With World Cup qualification looming large in 2025, the Super Eagles will need to regroup and find their form to avoid missing out on yet another global tournament.
