By Kunle Solaja, Casablanca

Nigeria’s outstanding performance at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations has translated into a major global ranking breakthrough, as the Super Eagles surged 12 places in the January 2026 FIFA/Coca-Cola Men’s World Ranking to 26th in the world.

By gaining 79.09 points in the period under review, Nigeria is adjudged as the team with the most points scored.

The dramatic rise follows Nigeria’s bronze-medal finish at AFCON 2025, where they were never defeated in a series of seven matches, five of which were outright wins while the two others were drawn in regulation time.

Only finalists Senegal and Morocco recorded bigger continental headlines, but Nigeria’s leap is one of the most remarkable movements in the new rankings, matched only by Cameroon’s 12-place climb after reaching the quarter-finals.

The Super Eagles’ rise is an indication of the strength of their AFCON showing, where they combined tactical discipline with attacking flair, reminding the world of their pedigree.

While Senegal’s triumph pushed them up to a career-high 12th and Morocco returned to the top 10 at eighth, Nigeria’s jump back into the world’s top 30 signals a strong revival and renewed confidence in other competitions in future.

With nine African teams now in the world’s top 50, CAF’s growing influence is evident, and Nigeria’s resurgence stands as one of the brightest success stories of the African showpiece.

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By Kunle Solaja, Casablanca

The 2025 Africa Cup of Nations has not only crowned a new champion and produced unforgettable football, it has also rewritten Africa’s place on the global football map, with the continent recording one of its strongest collective showings in the latest FIFA/Coca-Cola Men’s World Ranking.

In the January 2026 edition of the rankings, Africa now boasts nine nations inside the world’s top 50 – two more than at the end of 2025. It is an indication of the growing competitive strength and depth of the continent’s football.

Finalists Senegal and Morocco led the continental charge. AFCON champions Senegal climbed seven places to a career-high 12th in the world, while runners-up Morocco surged to eighth, returning to the top 10 for the first time in almost three decades and achieving their best-ever global ranking.

Nigeria’s bronze-medal finish delivered another major boost, as the Super Eagles rocketed 12 places to 26th, one of the biggest jumps recorded in the new table. Cameroon matched that rise after their quarter-final run, while Algeria, Egypt, Côte d’Ivoire and DR Congo also posted impressive gains, reflecting a tournament that lifted the global profile of African football.

The rankings now show Africa’s growing ability to challenge the traditional powers of Europe and South America. With CAF increasing its presence in the upper reaches of the world table, the continent’s leading teams are no longer just competitive outsiders but genuine global contenders.

From Rabat to Dakar, from Lagos to Cairo, AFCON 2025 has become more than a tournament – it has become a statement. African football is rising, and the world rankings now bear witness to that unmistakable shift in power.

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By Kunle Solaja, Casablanca

Hosts Morocco may have fallen just short of lifting the Africa Cup of Nations trophy, but their superb campaign at AFCON 2025 has delivered a far-reaching reward: a historic return to the world’s top 10.

In the January 2026 edition of the FIFA/Coca-Cola Men’s World Ranking, the Atlas Lions climbed three places to eighth, their highest position ever and their first appearance inside the top 10 since April 1998.

The rise confirms Morocco’s growing status as a global football powerhouse, built on a magnificent run to the AFCON final, where they narrowly lost to Senegal after a dramatic contest. The ranking leap sees Morocco leapfrog Croatia, Belgium and Germany, with the Croatians dropping out of the elite bracket altogether.

For Moroccan football, the ranking is a fitting tribute to a tournament that showcased not just technical excellence, but organisational strength, passionate support and the Kingdom’s growing influence on the world football stage.

AFCON champions Senegal rose seven places to 12th, while Spain, Argentina and France remain the world’s top three teams. But for Morocco, eighth place is a landmark that underlines the nation’s rapid ascent since their historic World Cup semi-final run in Qatar 2022.

With nine African nations now inside the world’s top 50, CAF continues to strengthen its global footprint, and Morocco stand proudly at the forefront of that continental rise.

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