FIFA Women’s World Ranking: Spain Extend Lead as Malawi Soar and Super Falcons Drop
Spain extended their lead at the top of the FIFA women’s world ranking on Tuesday 20 October, while Malawi made a record climb of 49 places after reaching their first WAFCON final. The world champions now sit almost 80 points clear of the USA, according to FIFA.
Nigeria’s Super Falcons, meanwhile, dropped seven places to 43rd after a difficult summer. They remain Africa’s top-ranked side, but they suffered the biggest points loss of any team in the new FIFA women’s world ranking.
The New FIFA Women’s World Ranking Top 10
Denmark’s return was the only change inside the top 10, Inside World Football reported:
- Spain (2121.50 points)
- USA (2042.38)
- Germany
- England (2025.47)
- Japan
- France
- Brazil
- Sweden
- Canada
- Denmark (up two places)
Spain’s lead grew from about 47 points in June to 79 after they won one game and drew the other against the USWNT this month. Read our reports on the 2–0 win in Washington and the 2–2 draw in Chester.
England stay fourth despite beating Greece 8–1 on aggregate in the World Cup play-offs. Denmark climbed back into the top 10 for the first time since August 2010, while the Netherlands slipped to 11th, FIFA said.
Malawi’s Record-Breaking Rise
Malawi jumped from 153rd to 104th, gaining 158.44 points. FIFA called it a record climb.
The reasons are clear. Malawi reached the final of their debut WAFCON in Morocco, qualified for the 2027 World Cup and won their Olympic qualifiers, according to FIFA.
On the way to the WAFCON final, they beat Nigeria 3–2, Ghana 2–1 and Algeria 3–1 before losing 3–0 to Cameroon. Temwa Chawinga starred throughout, and she is now on the shortlist for the Ballon d’Or Féminin 2026.
Elsewhere, new African champions Cameroon rose nine places to 62nd. Tanzania and Burkina Faso also made big gains, while Slovenia reached their highest ever position, 36th.
Why the Super Falcons Fell in the FIFA Women’s World Ranking
Nigeria lost 83.54 points, the most of any team, Sports247 reported. They now sit 43rd with 1518.02 points, according to Blueprint.
The drop follows a tough WAFCON campaign. Nigeria lost to Malawi in the group stage and then went out 1–0 to Cameroon in the quarter-finals, their first WAFCON without a semi-final place.
After that, a play-off defeat to South Africa ended their run of reaching every Women’s World Cup since 1991. It is their biggest ranking fall since August 2022, New National Star reported.
There is some context, though. Nigeria’s record low is 46th, set in 2022, and their highest is 23rd, according to their team records. Since the WAFCON, they have also beaten Comoros 7–0 on aggregate in Olympic qualifying under new coach Augustine Eguavoen.
Read the full story in our Super Falcons guide.
Africa’s Top 10
Here is how Africa’s leading teams rank, according to Blueprint and Africa Soccer:
- Nigeria (43rd in the world)
- South Africa (59th)
- Cameroon (62nd)
- Morocco (64th)
- Ghana (65th)
- Zambia (70th)
- Côte d’Ivoire (72nd)
- Algeria (73rd)
- Senegal (76th)
- Mali (86th)
On the other hand, Egypt suffered the biggest fall of all, dropping 14 places to 113th after losing all three WAFCON group games.
What Comes Next
FIFA will publish the next ranking on 7 December 2026. That edition comes just four days before the 2027 World Cup draw in Rio de Janeiro on 11 December.
FIFA has not confirmed which ranking it will use to seed the draw. However, Spain and the USA are expected to be among the top seeds. See every qualified team in our Women’s World Cup 2027 guide, and the remaining European ties in our World Cup play-offs explainer.
Can the Super Falcons climb back into the top 40? Tell us in the comments.
