Nigeria, June 11 -- As the 2026 FIFA World Cup kicks off across the United States, Mexico and Canada, Nigeria's Super Eagles will be watching from afar despite being one of the highest-ranked teams not participating in the tournament.

The latest FIFA Men's World Ranking released on Thursday placed Nigeria 26th in the world, making the Super Eagles the second-highest-ranked nation to miss the expanded 48-team World Cup.

Only Denmark, ranked 21st globally, sits higher among countries that failed to qualify for football's biggest event.

The ranking underscores the disappointment of Nigeria's absence from the tournament, despite the team's resurgence under coach Eric Chelle and a strong rise in the global rankings over the past year.

The ...