Nigeria’s Super Eagles have retained their 26th position in the latest FIFA Men’s World Rankings released on Thursday, maintaining their place among the world’s top football nations despite mixed results in recent international matches.
The ranking comes after a busy period for Éric Chelle’s side, who participated in the Unity Cup invitational tournament held in London. The three-time African champions impressed at the competition, recording a 2-0 victory over Zimbabwe before following it up with a convincing 3-0 win against Jamaica.
The Super Eagles also featured in two international friendlies this month as part of their preparations for upcoming competitions. They played out an entertaining 2-2 draw with Poland in Warsaw before suffering a narrow 2-1 defeat to Portugal in Leiria on Wednesday night. Despite the loss, the team delivered a spirited performance against the European giants, providing encouraging signs for the coaching crew and supporters.
On the African continent, Nigeria remains the third-highest ranked nation, trailing only Morocco and Senegal. Algeria occupy fourth position, while Egypt complete the top five teams in Africa.
At the global level, there were no changes among the leading nations. Reigning world champions Argentina continue to sit at the summit of the rankings, with Spain, France, England, and Portugal rounding out the top five.
The latest rankings will serve as another benchmark for the Super Eagles as they continue their preparations for future international assignments, including the race for qualification to major tournaments. FIFA is scheduled to publish its next set of world rankings on July 20, when teams around the world will learn whether their recent performances have affected their standing.
