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The Super Eagles of Nigeria have climbed to third place in Africa and 26th position globally in the latest FIFA Men’s World Rankings released on Monday.
The Nigerian national team moved 12 places from 38th to 26th after an impressive outing at the 2025 African Cup of Nations in Morocco, where they emerged third overall.
Nigeria scored the most points in the latest ranking (+79.09), after impressive performances at the continental competition.
Read Also: Diaz Breaks Silence After AFCON Final Penalty Miss
Eric Chelle’s side won six of seven matches, beating Tanzania, Tunisia, Uganda, Mozambique, Algeria and Egypt, but narrowly lost the semi-final to hosts Morocco on penalties.
The Super Eagles are now the third-best team in Africa, behind AFCON winners Senegal, ranked 12th globally, and Morocco, placed eighth in the world.
Algeria and Egypt occupy fourth and fifth positions, respectively, on the latest African ranking.
Meanwhile, Spain, Argentina, France, England, Brazil, Portugal, Netherlands, Morocco, Belgium, and Germany make up the world’s top 10 teams.
Morocco midfielder Brahim Diaz has broken his silence after missing a crucial late penalty in the Africa Cup of Nations final on Sunday, which proved decisive in his side’s defeat to Senegal.
Diaz failed to convert from the spot deep into stoppage time after Morocco were awarded a penalty following a VAR review, with the match still goalless. The midfielder’s chipped effort was saved by Edouard Mendy, and Senegal later went on to win the final in extra time.
Reacting, in an emotional statement posted on X on Monday, Diaz accepted full responsibility for the miss and apologised to Moroccan fans.
“My soul hurts. I dreamed of this title thanks to all the love you all gave me, every message, every show of support that made me feel I wasn’t alone. I fought with everything I had, with my heart above all else.,” he wrote.
