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Nigeria’s Super Falcons have dropped seven places to 43rd in the latest FIFA Women’s World Ranking, losing 83.54 points following a disappointing run of results at the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON).
The latest ranking, released on Tuesday, October 20, shows the 10-time African champions falling from 36th position in the previous edition published in June to 43rd, with their points tally declining to 1,518.02.
Despite the drop, Nigeria remain Africa’s highest-ranked women’s national team. The October update followed 183 international matches played during the latest assessment period. <Cite refs={[“turn219590search16”,“turn219590search0”]}/>
WAFCON Exit, World Cup Failure Hit Falcons
The decline follows a difficult WAFCON campaign in Morocco, where Nigeria failed to reach the semi-finals for the first time in the tournament’s history.
The Super Falcons lost 3-2 to Malawi in their opening group match before recovering with victories over Zambia and Egypt to reach the quarter-finals.
However, Nigeria’s campaign ended with a 1-0 defeat to Cameroon, forcing the team into a play-off for another route towards qualification for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
The Falcons subsequently lost 2-1 to South Africa, ending Nigeria’s record of appearing at every edition of the Women’s World Cup since the competition began in 1991. <Cite refs={[“turn219590search3”,“turn219590search1”]}/>
Nigeria recorded the biggest loss of ranking points among all countries in the October update, reflecting the impact of the results during the assessment period.
Nigeria Remain Africa’s Highest-Ranked Team
Despite their global decline, the Super Falcons remain ahead of other African teams in the latest ranking.
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 climbed nine places to 62nd following their WAFCON triumph, while the movement among African teams reflects contrasting performances during the ranking period.
Malawi Make Biggest Ranking Gain
Malawi recorded the biggest improvement in the latest ranking, climbing 49 places to 104th globally after gaining 158.44 points.
The Scorchers reached the 2026 WAFCON final and secured qualification for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup, marking a significant milestone for the country.
Tanzania climbed 11 places to 111th, while Burkina Faso rose nine places to 109th.
Egypt recorded the biggest fall in ranking positions among African teams, dropping 14 places to 113th after losing all three group-stage matches at WAFCON.
Zimbabwe fell nine places to 136th, while the Democratic Republic of Congo dropped eight places to 114th.
Spain Extend Lead At The Top
Spain retained first place in the global ranking after beating the United States 2-0 before drawing 2-2 in their second meeting during the October international window.
The results extended Spain’s lead over the United States to almost 80 points, according to FIFA. <Cite refs={[“turn219590search16”]}/>
Germany remain third, followed by England in fourth and Japan in fifth. France occupy sixth position, Brazil are seventh, Sweden eighth and Canada ninth.
Denmark climbed two places to 10th, 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 rose two places to 36th, matching its highest-ever ranking.
Super Falcons Turn Attention To Olympic Qualifiers
Nigeria will look to rebuild momentum following their disappointing continental campaign and failure to qualify for the 2027 Women’s World Cup.
The team has advanced to the third round of the African qualifiers for the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles after defeating Comoros 5-0 in Ikenne on October 13 to secure a 7-0 aggregate victory.
The Super Falcons are 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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