World champions Spain have reclaimed the top spot from USA in the FIFA Coca-Cola rankings for women’s football.
Spain, which held the top ranking from December 2023 to June 2024, overtook USA after winning five straight matches to reach the finals before losing to England at the UEFA Women’s EURO 2025.
Spain are only 2 points ahead of USA, who had been number one since August 2024, and who were number one from 2008 to 2022, according to FIFA.
USA won three friendlies in recent months but did not compete in major competitions where they could earn ranking points.
Sweden (3), England (4), Germany (5), France (6), Brazil (7), Japan (8), Canada (9) and North Korea (10) round out the top ten.
Spain, USA, England and Brazil will be among favorites at the FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil in 2027.
Despite winning their ninth CONMEBOL Copa América title, Brazil dropped three places to 7th in the rankings by losing pre-tournament to France, drawing with Colombia in the group stage and then beating Colombia on penalties in the final.
Since June, France under coach Hervé Renard has surged from 10th to 6th in the rankings after sweeping through the group stage at Euro 2025 before losing a quarter-final to Germany.
Lower down the table, Bangladesh moved up 24 to reach 104th in the rankings after wins over Myanmar, Bahrain, and Turkmenistan to reach the AFC final qualifying stage — a feat that has increased national interest in the women’s game, which is growing across Asia.
In the Pacific, the OFC Women’s Nations Cup produced a surprise winner in the Solomon Islands, who climbed 13 rungs to reach 73rd after taking advantage of New Zealand’s absence to capture their first Oceania title. Vanuatu moved up 19 rungs to 100th, their highest ever.
Poland (26th), Haiti (49th), and Saudi Arabia (164th) have all reached their highest ranking on the FIFA table.
The FIFA/Coca-Cola Women’s World Ranking is based on a points system that takes into account:
—Match Result – Wins earn points, draws fewer, and losses result in a points deduction.
—Match Importance – Competitive matches (e.g., World Cup, continental tournaments) carry more weight than friendlies.
—Opponent Strength – Beating a higher-ranked team earns more points than beating a lower-ranked one.
—Confederation Strength – Results against teams from stronger confederations (e.g., UEFA, CONMEBOL) are worth slightly more.
Unlike the men’s ranking, which uses an ELO-based rolling calculation, the women’s ranking updates roughly every three months and considers all “A” international matches. This means timing matters — a major tournament during a ranking period can cause big jumps or drops, as seen with Spain, France, and Bangladesh in this edition.
The next few months could see more changes in the table.
In UEFA Nations League group matches, Spain will face Germany and Denmark in September and October — both top-15 opponents that could strengthen Spain’s No. 1 position if they win. Spain will also travel to South America in November for two friendlies against Brazil, offering another test against elite opposition.
USA, meanwhile, will host Japan and Australia in an October friendly series before closing the year with a pair of away matches against Canada in December. Wins against these top-15 opponents could be enough to reclaim first place before the year’s final ranking update, especially if Spain drop points in competitive fixtures.
In the UEFA Nations League, teams like Germany, Sweden, and the Netherlands will aim to move closer to the top three.
Elsewhere, the African Women’s Cup of Nations 2025 qualifiers will see Nigeria, South Africa and Morocco looking to improve their positions.
AFC Final Qualifying Round for Brazil 2027 will see Bangladesh, Vietnam, the Philippines, and other Asian nations face higher-ranked opposition, offering major ranking point opportunities.
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