The latest FIFA rankings released on Thursday has seen Nigeria climb up one place, moving to 43rd in the world.
The Super Eagles rounded off 2024 in the 44th position following unimpressive performances in the international break towards the end of 2024.
But a 2-0 victory over Rwanda and in Kigali and a 1-1 draw with Zimbabwe in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers in March gave the three-time African champions a marginal lift in the latest rankings.
Among African teams, Nigeria is ranked 6th behind Morocco, Senegal, Egypt, Ivory Coast and Algeria.
In the global rankings, Argentina, maintained top spot, followed by Spain in second and France in third. England and Brazil occupy fourth and fifth positions, respectively.
Two of the other three teams to secure World Cup qualification during the most recent international window – Japan and IR Iran – retained their places at 15 and 18 in the ranking, respectively, while New Zealand climbed three positions to 86 as they booked their spot in the 48-team tournament thanks to victory over New Caledonia.
