APPRECIATION TO FIFA AS NIGERIA RANKS 44

The ranking’s latest edition shows an entirely unaltered position, having been impacted by just eight Grade ‘A’ matches in a quiet month for international football.

There were also no changes in the top four as Senegal, Tunisia, Morocco who were all ranked above Nigeria retained their spots.

Meanwhile, Belgium will begin 2019 at the top of the ranking, having preserved their single-point lead over France at the table’s summit and emerging ‘team of the year’.

Belgium have 1,727 points by FIFA’s calculations followed closely by France with 1,726 while Brazil are third with 1,676.

FIFA stated on its website that France, who were ranked No. 9 last Christmas, were the year’s “Best Mover” after a “stellar 2018…having gained more points (165) since December 2017 than any other nation.”

Brazil, Croatia, England, Portugal, Uruguay, Switzerland, Spain and Denmark made top ten.