Two Nigerian Premier Football League club, Rivers United and Enyimba have been listed among the top 500 clubs in the world in the latest five-year ranking released by the International Federation of Football History and Statistics.
The recent report claimed that in the IFFHS Men’s Club World Ranking for the period beginning from January 1, 2021 to December 31, 2025, Rivers United are placed 278th with 361.75 points, while Enyimba occupy 421st position with 280 points.
Both Nigeria Premier Football League clubs are the only Nigerian sides included in the global top 500. The ranking reflects performances in domestic and continental competitions over the five-year period under review.
The pride of Rivers have won the Nigerian Premier Football League title once in that span, claiming the 2021/22 crown and finishing third in the next season’s campaign.
Also Read: Preview: Kwara United V Rivers United
Due to their sensational performance, it has also been seen as they featured regularly in continental competitions, reaching the CAF Confederation Cup quarter-finals in successive seasons in 2022/23 and 2023/24, and qualifying for the group stage of the 2025/26 CAF Champions League.
On the other hand, Enyimba, a household name in the NPFL, a nine-time Nigerian champions and two-time CAF Champions League winners, secured the domestic league title in 2023 and finished third on two occasions within the review period.
Unarguably, the Aba based outlet has made multiple appearances in CAF competitions, including the CAF Confederation Cup group stage in 2024/25. At the moment, Finidi George’s men are presently top of the NPFL table with two games in hand and remain Nigeria’s most consistent side on the continent in recent seasons.
And they sit 24th in the Confederation of Africa football’s five-year club coefficient, with Enyimba placed 35th, making them the only Nigerian teams in that ranking.
However, in the IFFHS ranking which is led by Real Madrid, followed by Manchester City and CR Flamengo, with Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich completing the top five.
The top 10 is dominated by European and South American clubs, reflecting the weight of results in UEFA and CONMEBOL competitions.
Report has it that the recent inclusion of the NPFL duo— Rivers United and Enyimba in the top 500 comes at a time when the Nigerian domestic league has slipped in the IFFHS league standings, dropping 15 places to 91st in the world with 171.75 points in the 2025 assessment.
