Nigeria has experienced the most significant drop in the latest FIFA rankings released on Thursday, following a series of underwhelming performances.

The three-time African champions have fallen from 36th to 44th globally, an 8-place decline.

The team now has 1482.23 points, down from their previous total of 1503.

Nigeria is ranked fifth on the African stage, behind Morocco, Senegal, Egypt, and Algeria.

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The drop is attributed to poor results during the recent FIFA international window, where Nigeria lost 2-1 to Rwanda and managed only a 1-1 draw with Benin in the AFCON 2025 qualifiers.

Globally, Argentina, captained by Lionel Messi, remain at the top, followed by France in second and Spain in third.England and Brazil occupy fourth and fifth positions, respectively.

The rankings reflect a packed international football calendar, including World Cup 2026 qualifiers, AFCON 2025 matches, and Nations League fixtures.

Meanwhile, Niger made the biggest climb in the rankings, rising nine spots to 122nd globally with the most points of 31.23.

The next FIFA ranking update is scheduled for December 12, 2024.