World Cup 2026: Nigeria’s Super Eagles ranked second-highest team missing from tournament

Nigeria may be absent from the 2026 FIFA World Cup, but the Super Eagles remain one of the highest-ranked nations not participating in the tournament.

According to the latest FIFA Men’s World Ranking, Nigeria sit 26th in the world, making them the second-highest-ranked team to miss out on qualification.

Only Denmark, who occupy 21st place globally, rank above the Super Eagles among the nations not involved in the competition being hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada.

Nigeria’s absence has not gone unnoticed, with former England and Chelsea captain John Terry describing the Super Eagles as one of the biggest omissions from the expanded 48-team tournament.

“Nigeria will be a big miss. This is a World Cup for participants who haven’t had the opportunity to play in the tournament. I would have loved to see a top team like Nigeria there because they’ve got some great individuals. They’re a great nation,” Terry said during a virtual roundtable session organised by SuperSport.

“I think they are a big miss because Nigeria probably would have gone further in the competition, but unfortunately, one side’s loss is another’s gain,” the former England captain added.

Nigeria’s failure to qualify came after a difficult campaign under Eric Chelle. The Super Eagles finished second behind South Africa in Group C of the CAF World Cup qualifiers before navigating their way through the playoffs.

A victory over Gabon in the playoff semi-final kept their hopes alive, but their journey ended in heartbreak after a penalty shootout defeat to the Democratic Republic of Congo in the decisive playoff final. The result confirmed Nigeria’s second consecutive World Cup absence following their failure to qualify for the 2022 tournament in Qatar.

The Nigeria Football Federation later challenged DR Congo’s qualification, alleging the use of ineligible players during the campaign. However, the appeal was ultimately rejected.

Despite missing football’s biggest stage, Nigeria continue to rank among Africa’s elite sides. The Super Eagles are currently the continent’s third-highest-ranked nation behind Morocco and Senegal, while Algeria and Egypt complete Africa’s top five.

At the summit of the global rankings, defending world champions Argentina remain number one. Spain, France, England and Portugal occupy the next four positions, while Brazil sit sixth. Morocco, the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany complete the top ten.

Attention will now turn to the next FIFA World Ranking update, which is scheduled to be released on July 20, one day after the World Cup final.