Nigeria has maintained its position in the latest FIFA men’s world rankings, staying 38th globally in the December 2025 update released on Monday.
The Super Eagles recorded no change in points, retaining their November tally of 1,502 after playing no competitive matches during the review period.
Nigeria is currently ranked fifth in Africa, behind Morocco, Senegal, Egypt, and Algeria. Morocco continues to lead the continent at 11th in the world, followed by Senegal in 19th place. Algeria and Egypt are ranked 34th and 35th respectively, with Nigeria next at 38th.
Other African teams in the continental top 10 include Tunisia (41st), Côte d’Ivoire (42nd), Mali (53rd), DR Congo (56th), and Cameroon (57th).
At the global level, Spain remains top of the rankings after reclaiming first place from Argentina in September 2025. France sits third, while England, Brazil, Portugal, the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, and Croatia complete the top 10, all unchanged from the previous ranking.
The December edition, which is the final ranking of the year, reflects results from 42 international matches, with the FIFA Arab Cup Qatar 2025 being the major competition considered.
Morocco’s triumph at the Arab Cup pushed them within touching distance of the world’s top 10, finishing just 0.54 points behind Croatia — their closest approach since April 1998.
Among the year’s standout movers, Kosovo climbed 19 places to 80th after recording seven wins and two draws in 10 matches. Norway (29th) and Suriname (123rd) also made notable gains, while Jordan (64th), Vietnam (107th), and Singapore (148th) posted the biggest rises in December.
Nigeria’s unchanged ranking highlights stability but also underscores the need for improved performances as the team continues its campaign at AFCON 2025.