The Nigerian Premier Football League (NPFL) has been ranked as the 74th strongest football league in the world and fourth in Africa, according to the latest Opta Power Rankings released in November 2025, Soccernet.ng reports.
The data, updated on November 13, places the NPFL firmly among the top 100 football leagues globally, a notable marker of its growing competitiveness and structural progress in recent years.
Opta’s analytical framework assesses leagues through multiple metrics: the average team rating, the performance of the top five and ten clubs, and a supercomputer-driven model that evaluates competitive balance and overall quality.
The system incorporates match data from thousands of teams across all continents to provide an objective global index of league strength.
According to the November update, Nigeria’s domestic top-flight, now overseen by the NPFL Board led by Gbenga Elegbeleye, has edged ahead of several well-established leagues, including those of Iraq, Finland, Armenia, Venezuela, Georgia, and Belarus.
This year’s NPFL champions, Remo Stars, capped off a season that reflected the league’s improving standards, while traditional powerhouses Enyimba, Rangers International, and Rivers United continue to boost Nigeria’s reputation through consistent domestic and continental performances.
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Algeria, Egypt, South Africa, Nigeria lead Africa’s pack
Across Africa, Algeria’s Ligue 1 emerged as the continent’s strongest league, ranking 40th globally, followed by Egypt’s Premier League at 45th and South Africa’s Premier Soccer League at 52nd.
The NPFL’s 74th-place finish puts it just outside the continent’s top three but comfortably ahead of Ghana’s Premier League, which sits 77th worldwide.
Globally, the English Premier League remains the gold standard in football excellence, retaining its position at the summit. Spain’s La Liga sits second, while the German Bundesliga climbs into third place, displacing Italy’s Serie A to fourth. France’s Ligue 1 completes the world’s top five.
Legacy of Nigeria’s top-flight football
Since its inception in 1972, when Mighty Jets of Jos won the inaugural title, the NPFL has grown into a rich tapestry of football heritage and regional rivalries.
Enyimba FC of Aba stand as Nigeria’s most successful club, with nine league titles, closely followed by Rangers International with eight.
Other notable former champions include Shooting Stars, Heartland, and Kano Pillars.
The NPFL’s history has also produced a long list of prolific goalscorers, from Ahmed Musa’s 18 goals for Kano Pillars in 2010 to Mfon Udoh’s record 23 goals for Enyimba in 2014, and more recently Chijioke Mbaoma’s 17 goals for Enyimba in 2023–24.
