Nigeria’s Super Falcons have dropped seven places to 43rd in the latest FIFA Women’s World Ranking, but they remain Africa’s highest ranked women’s national team despite a difficult period that has raised questions about their continental standing.
The rankings, released on Tuesday, October 20, reflect results from 183 international matches played during the latest window, including Women’s Africa Cup of Nations fixtures, World Cup qualifiers, Olympic qualifying matches and international friendlies.
While Nigeria’s decline headlines the African picture, Malawi have emerged as the biggest climbers globally, while Spain have strengthened their position at the top.
For the Super Falcons, the latest update provides another measure of a disappointing 2026 campaign.
Nigeria fell from 36th to 43rd after their quarterfinal exit at the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco, where they suffered defeats to Malawi and Cameroon, before losing 2-1 to South Africa in the play-off for qualification for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
The Falcons did record two victories over Comoros in the qualifiers for the 2028 Olympic Games, but those results were not enough to prevent their overall ranking from slipping.
Their latest position nevertheless keeps Nigeria ahead of every other African side, underlining the gap they still hold over their continental rivals even as several teams make progress.
Malawi’s historic rise reshapes Africa’s rankings
The most striking African story belongs to Malawi, who have climbed an unprecedented 49 places to 104th in the world after reaching the WAFCON final and securing their first-ever qualification for the Women’s World Cup.
The Scorchers defeated several established sides during their run in Morocco, including Nigeria, Egypt, Ghana and Algeria, before losing the final to Cameroon.
Their performances brought a record 158.44 ranking points, making Malawi the biggest gainers in the latest global update. Their rise reflects the impact of a breakthrough tournament that has transformed the country’s immediate prospects on the international stage.
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Cameroon have also moved forward, climbing nine places to 62nd after winning the continental title. They are now third in Africa behind Nigeria and South Africa, with Morocco and Ghana completing the continent’s top five. Zambia, Côte d’Ivoire, Algeria, Senegal and Mali follow among Africa’s leading teams.
The latest standings show that Nigeria remain the continent’s benchmark, but the movement below them illustrates how quickly the competitive landscape can change.
South Africa sit 59th, Cameroon 62nd, Morocco 64th, Ghana 65th and Zambia 70th, leaving a relatively compact group of African sides competing for positions behind the Falcons.
Spain extend their lead as Europe’s leading sides maintain their positions
At the top of the world ranking, Spain have strengthened their hold on first place after recording a 2-0 victory over the United States in Washington, DC, before drawing 2-2 with the Americans in Chester, Pennsylvania.
The results extended Spain’s lead over the United States to almost 80 ranking points. The reigning world champions remain first, with the Americans second and Germany third after recording victories over Australia and Japan. England occupy fourth place, while Japan complete the top five.
France remain sixth, followed by Brazil in seventh, Sweden in eighth and Canada in ninth. Denmark have made the only change within the top 10, climbing two places to return to the elite group for the first time since August 2010.
The Danes drew 1-1 with Canada in Montreal before winning the second meeting 4-3 in Toronto. That sequence lifted them to 10th, pushing the Netherlands down to 11th and North Korea to 12th.
Elsewhere in Europe, Slovenia have climbed two places to 36th, their highest position in the ranking’s history, after progressing in the European qualifying play-offs for the 2027 Women’s World Cup.
The road to Brazil 2027
The October ranking arrives as preparations for the 2027 Women’s World Cup in Brazil intensify, with African and European teams navigating different qualification routes and using the latest international windows to build momentum.
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The next FIFA Women’s World Ranking is scheduled for December 7, 2026, providing another opportunity to assess whether Nigeria can recover ground and whether the momentum behind Africa’s emerging teams will continue.
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