October 17, (THEWILL) — In the latest FIFA rankings, Nigeria have been placed 45th globally, making them the highest-ranked nation amongst all teams competing in the Intercontinental playoffs for the 2026 World Cup.
The Super Eagles sit above Costa Rica, Cameroon, Iraq, DR Congo, UAE, Jamaica, Bolivia, Gabon, Curaçao and New Caledonia in the current standings, a position that could prove vital in their qualification campaign.
This ranking ensures Nigeria will be top seeds and offers a significant structural advantage should they progress through the African playoff stage in Morocco next month. The Super Eagles would then face only one match in the final Intercontinental playoff to reach the World Cup, unlike teams that must navigate additional qualifying rounds.
Nigeria’s opening test arrives on November 13 against Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s Gabon side in Morocco. A victory would earn a meeting with either Cameroon or DR Congo, with the winner claiming the sole African berth in the Intercontinental final playoff scheduled for Mexico next year in either Guadalajara or Monterrey.
The ranking system means Nigeria would likely face one of the lower-ranked qualifiers in that decisive Mexican fixture. This presents a potentially favourable draw for the Super Eagles in their final hurdle towards reaching the 2026 tournament.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
