FIFA announced today, Friday, that Spain, the World Champion, has risen to the top of the FIFA Women's National Team Rankings for the first time, while Sweden has dropped from first to fifth place. With this, Spain has become the fourth country to reach the top of the women's rankings, joining the United States, Germany, and Sweden. Spain claimed the world title last August after defeating England in the final, advancing four spots to second place before taking the top position due to a series of excellent results in the UEFA Nations League.
In the UEFA Nations League, Spain topped its group, achieving five victories to reach the finals, which will be held in February, where they will face the Netherlands in the semifinals. The United States has moved up to second place in the rankings, just ahead of France, which also qualified for the UEFA finals and will face Germany in the other semifinal.
England, the European champion, which failed to qualify for the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics, is in fourth place globally, while Sweden has fallen to fifth after finishing third in its UEFA Nations League group, securing only two victories in six matches. The number of women's teams in the FIFA rankings has reached a record high of 192 national teams, following the inclusion of the Central African Republic and Macau, while some teams, like North Korea and Madagascar, have returned to the rankings.
