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Nigeria’s Super Falcons have dropped seven places to 43rd in the latest FIFA Women’s World Ranking released on Tuesday, October 20, following a difficult run of results that saw the team lose 83.54 ranking points.
The 10-time African champions, who occupied 36th position in the previous ranking published in June, now have 1,518.02 points. Despite the decline, Nigeria remain the highest-ranked women’s national team in Africa. Blueprint reports
The latest update followed 183 international matches played during the most recent international window, which featured the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON), African Olympic qualifying fixtures, World Cup qualifiers and international friendlies.
WAFCON disappointment affects Nigeria’s ranking
The Super Falcons’ decline comes after a disappointing WAFCON campaign in which Nigeria failed to reach the semi-finals for the first time in the tournament’s history.
The team’s campaign was marked by setbacks against continental opponents, including Malawi and Cameroon, as Nigeria struggled to maintain the form expected of one of Africa’s most successful women’s football sides.
Nigeria’s difficulties continued in the play-off for qualification for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil, where the Super Falcons suffered a 2-1 defeat to South Africa.
The result ended Nigeria’s record of appearing at every edition of the Women’s World Cup since the competition began in 1991.
The latest FIFA ranking reflects the impact of the team’s results during the assessment period, with Nigeria recording the biggest loss of ranking points among all countries in the October update.
Although the ranking setback does not erase the team’s achievements over the years, it highlights the importance of consistent performances in maintaining Nigeria’s standing in international women’s football.
Nigeria remain ahead of African rivals
Despite dropping seven places globally, Nigeria retain their position as Africa’s highest-ranked women’s national team.
South Africa are ranked 59th globally, followed by Cameroon in 62nd position. Morocco occupy 64th place, while Ghana are 65th and Zambia are 70th.
Côte d’Ivoire are ranked 72nd, Algeria 73rd, Senegal 76th and Mali 86th.
Cameroon, who emerged as champions at the 2026 WAFCON, climbed nine places to 62nd, reflecting their improved performances during the ranking period.
The movement among African teams also illustrates the increasing competitiveness of women’s football on the continent, with several countries making progress while established sides struggle to maintain their positions.
Malawi record biggest rise
Malawi emerged as the biggest climbers in the latest ranking, rising an impressive 49 places to 104th in the world.
The Scorchers gained 158.44 points after reaching the WAFCON final and securing qualification for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup, marking a historic milestone for the country.
Their performances at the continental tournament and in Olympic qualifying matches contributed to the dramatic improvement in their global standing.
Tanzania also made progress, climbing 11 places to 111th, while Burkina Faso moved up nine places to 109th.
In contrast, Egypt suffered the biggest drop in ranking positions among African teams, falling 14 places to 113th after losing all three of their group-stage matches at WAFCON.
Zimbabwe dropped nine places to 136th, while the Democratic Republic of Congo fell eight places to 114th.
The contrasting movements underline the changing landscape of African women’s football, with emerging teams making significant gains in a period when some traditional contenders have lost ground.
Spain maintain global lead
At the top of the global ranking, Spain retained first place after recording a 2-0 victory over the United States before playing out a 2-2 draw in their second meeting during the October international window.
The results enabled the reigning world champions to extend their lead over the United States to almost 80 points.
The Americans remain second, while Germany occupy third place after winning both of their home friendlies.
England are fourth, followed by Japan in fifth. France occupy sixth position, Brazil are seventh, Sweden eighth and Canada ninth.
Denmark climbed two places to 10th after recording a draw and a victory against Canada, returning to the global top 10 for the first time since August 2010. The Netherlands dropped to 11th, while North Korea moved down to 12th.
Slovenia also climbed two places to 36th, matching its highest-ever position in the ranking.
Falcons face task of rebuilding momentum
For Nigeria, the fall to 43rd represents a setback following a difficult period in which the team lost its continental title, failed to reach the WAFCON semi-finals and missed out on qualification for the 2027 Women’s World Cup.
The Super Falcons will now be expected to rebuild their form as attention shifts to upcoming international assignments, including the qualifying campaign for the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
Nigeria have reached the third round of the African Olympic qualifiers after defeating Comoros 5-0 in Ikenne on October 13 to secure a 7-0 aggregate victory.
The team is scheduled to face Morocco in a two-legged tie between February 23 and March 6, 2027, with a place in the next qualifying round at stake.
The next FIFA Women’s World Ranking is scheduled for release on December 7, 2026.
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