Nigeria’s 1998 World Cup record remains unmatched
Nigeria’s Super Eagles are not at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, but their historic 1998 achievement still stands. Cape Verde came close to breaking their record with a strong group stage performance, but ultimately fell short. The Super Eagles remain the lowest-ranked team to advance from the group stage in the modern FIFA ranking era. South Africa and Canada are set to make history in their upcoming knockout match.
Match highlights
- Cape Verde finished second in Group H after drawing all three group matches and advanced to the Round of 32 in their first-ever World Cup appearance.
- The Super Eagles entered the 1998 World Cup ranked 74th and topped Group D, defeating Spain 3-2 and finishing ahead of Paraguay and Bulgaria.
- Nigeria’s 1998 record as the lowest-ranked nation to advance from the group stage remains intact.
- In April 1994, Nigeria climbed to fifth in the FIFA world rankings, the highest ever for an African nation.
- South Africa and Canada will face each other in the Round of 32, marking their first competitive meeting at a World Cup.
