Super Falcons Retain 36th Spot in FIFA Rankings After Historic WAFCON Triumph

Nigeria’s Super Falcons have maintained their 36th position in the latest FIFA Women’s World Rankings, released on Thursday, following their title-winning campaign at the 2024 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) in Morocco, where they clinched a record-extending 10th continental crown.

Despite various shifts in the global rankings—including Spain overtaking the United States to reclaim the No.1 spot, and Bangladesh soaring 24 places—Nigeria’s solid performance ensured they held their previous rank from June.

The Super Falcons kicked off the July international window with a goalless draw against Portugal in a friendly, before dominating the WAFCON group stage. They secured convincing victories over Tunisia and Botswana, while a 1-1 draw with Algeria—after already topping the group—allowed the team to rest key players.

In the quarter-finals, Nigeria routed Zambia 5-0, seen by many as payback for the Copper Queens’ victory in the 2022 third-place playoff. The semi-final against South Africa was a tight 2-1 win, while in the final, the Falcons staged an unforgettable comeback, overturning a 2-0 deficit to defeat hosts Morocco 3-2, in what is now regarded as one of the finest matches in WAFCON history.

Their unbeaten run—five wins and one draw—resulted in a points increase from 1623.29 to 1630.83, cementing Nigeria’s status as Africa’s top-ranked team.

Elsewhere on the continent:

• South Africa remained 54th globally and 2nd in Africa, despite losing 22.92 points after a winless knockout stage.

• Morocco dropped one place to 64th, losing 12.42 points, despite reaching the final and playing the most matches (eight) during the window.

• Zambia held steady at 65th, gaining 6.93 points after mixed results.

• Ghana fell slightly to 67th with a negligible loss, even after finishing third at the tournament.

• Cameroon and Ivory Coast slipped to 66th and 71st respectively, due to inactivity.

The rest of Africa’s top 10 includes Mali, Algeria, and Senegal—with Algeria and Senegal enjoying noticeable gains of 14.79 and 12.6 points respectively.

Botswana was Africa’s biggest climber, jumping seven places to 146th, gaining 32.15 points, following a spirited WAFCON performance that included narrow losses to Algeria, Nigeria, and Tunisia.

Globally, Spain reclaimed the No.1 spot after a dominant Euro 2025 campaign, pushing the USA to second. France moved up four spots to 6th, while Brazil slipped to 7th despite defending their South American crown.

Bangladesh stood out as the ranking’s most improved nation—rising 24 places and gaining 80.51 points after advancing in the 2027 AFC Women’s World Cup qualifiers. The Solomon Islands also reached a new peak at 73rd, rising 13 places.

According to FIFA, a total of 196 international matches influenced the rankings this cycle. The next update will be published on December 11, 2025.