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

Nigeria’s Super Falcons have retained 36th place in the latest FIFA Women’s World Ranking released on Thursday, maintaining their status as Africa’s top-ranked women’s team. The position comes on the back of their record-extending 10th Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) title in Morocco, Sport360NG reports.

While there were significant changes elsewhere, with world champions Spain overtaking the United States for the No. 1 spot and Bangladesh jumping 24 places, Nigeria’s dominance on the continent ensured stability in their ranking.

The Falcons opened the July international window with a goalless draw against Portugal in Lisbon before hitting form at the WAFCON. They beat Tunisia and Botswana in Group B, then drew with Algeria after already securing first place in the group. In the knockout rounds, they routed Zambia 5-0 in the quarter-finals, edged South Africa 2-1 in the semis, and staged a dramatic comeback to defeat hosts Morocco 3-2 in the final.

Unbeaten across six matches, with five wins and one draw, Nigeria added 7.54 ranking points to reach 1,630.83, far ahead of other African nations.

South Africa, despite holding 54th place globally and second in Africa, lost 22.92 points after failing to win a knockout match. Morocco dropped from 63rd to 64th despite reaching the final, while Zambia stayed 65th with a modest points gain. Ghana slipped slightly to 67th, and Cameroon (66th) and Ivory Coast (71st) also dropped after being inactive.

Algeria and Senegal made notable gains, while Botswana rose seven spots to 146th, Africa’s biggest mover, after competitive performances against Algeria, Nigeria, and Tunisia.

On the global stage, Spain reclaimed top spot after reaching the UEFA Women’s Euro 2025 final. France climbed to sixth, Brazil fell to seventh despite winning the Copa América Femenina, and Bangladesh posted the biggest jump worldwide after advancing in Women’s World Cup qualifying.

FIFA recorded 196 international fixtures during the ranking period. The next update is due on December 11, 2025.