Nigeria’s 1998 FIFA World Cup record as the lowest-ranked nation to advance from the group stage in the modern FIFA rankings era remains intact despite Cape Verde’s impressive performance at the 2026 tournament.
According to The Punch on Sunday, June 28, 2026, Cape Verde reached the Round of 32 after an unbeaten group-stage campaign against Spain, Uruguay, and Saudi Arabia. However, the team entered the tournament ranked 64th in the world, higher than Nigeria’s 74th-place ranking at the 1998 World Cup in France.
The Super Eagles topped a group containing Spain, Paraguay, and Bulgaria in 1998, highlighted by a memorable 3-2 victory over Spain, a feat that continues to stand as a landmark achievement in World Cup history.
Cape Verde’s qualification remains a historic milestone for the island nation of about 525,000 people, but it was not enough to surpass Nigeria’s longstanding record.
Meanwhile, South Africa will face co-hosts Canada in the Round of 32 at SoFi Stadium after reaching the knockout stage of the World Cup for the first time. The winner will meet either the Netherlands or Morocco in the next round.
