The latest edition of the FIFA/Coca-Cola Women’s World Ranking has been released, bringing several significant milestones in the world of women’s football. This first ranking of 2025 includes a record-breaking 196 teams, marking the largest participation to date. Djibouti has made its debut, entering the rankings in 195th place, a historic moment for the East African nation.
The latest update follows a busy period of international fixtures, with 127 matches played, including the African qualifiers for the FIFA Women’s World Cup Brazil 2027™. Despite their 2-1 defeat in the SheBelieves Cup final, the United States remain at the summit, maintaining their status as the world’s leading team. The next three positions remain unchanged, with Spain, Germany, and England maintaining second, third, and fourth place, respectively.
Japan, however, has made a notable return to the upper echelons of the rankings, climbing three places to 5th—marking their first appearance in the top five since December 2015. Below them, Sweden (6th), Canada (7th), and Brazil (8th) have all slipped down a position, while Korea DPR (9th) and the Netherlands (10th) have retained their spots to complete the top ten.
While Japan’s rise is the most significant among the leading teams, further down the rankings, several nations have made remarkable progress. Puerto Rico (81st, up 4), Montenegro (84th, up 4), El Salvador (85th, up 5), Nepal (99th, up 4), the United Arab Emirates (112th, up 4), Cabo Verde (125th, up 4), and Cyprus (127th, up 6) have all climbed multiple places.
African teams, in particular, have enjoyed a momentous update. Burkina Faso (132nd) and Benin (147th) have both risen by five places, but it is Tanzania (138th) and Kenya (142nd) that have recorded the largest leaps, soaring seven places each to become this edition’s biggest climbers.
There could be further success for Africa in the next edition of the rankings, which is scheduled for release on 12 June 2025. Four African teams—Chad, Eritrea, Libya, and Sudan—are on the brink of making history, as they need just one official international fixture to secure their inaugural place in the global standings.
Key highlights from the FIFA/Coca-Cola Women’s World ranking:
- Leaders: USA retain the top spot despite their SheBelieves Cup final defeat.
- New Entry: Djibouti makes its debut at 195th place.
- Biggest Climbers: Tanzania and Kenya both rise seven places in the rankings.
- Biggest Drop: Tunisia suffers the largest decline, falling 11 places and losing 43.79 ranking points.
- Most Matches Played: Myanmar and Nepal lead the way, each competing in four matches.
- Next Update: The next ranking will be published on 12 June 2025.
The Maltese women’s national team has gone down one position in the latest rankings, from 86th to 87th, following one win and one loss, reflecting recent results in international competition.
As international fixtures continue to shape the rankings, football fans around the world will eagerly await further developments, particularly from emerging nations making their mark on the global stage.
