USWNT climb to second in FIFA rankings; Spain top, following Women's World Cup win with strong Nations League
France, England and Sweden make up the remainder of the top five
By
James Benge
•
1 min read
World champions Spain have risen to the top of the FIFA rankings for the first time in their history with the United States women's national team hot on their heels in second place. The USWNT might not have accrued any additional points since the last rankings were published prior to the World Cup, but they have risen up as other sides, most notably their round of 16 conquerors Sweden, have given up more points.
Sweden drop from first to fifth having suffered the biggest drop in points of any of the 192 teams in the standings. The World Cup's third place side have partly slipped away due to their results since the tournament, beaten twice by Spain and once by Switzerland in the UEFA Nations League. Joining Spain and the USA on the podium are France with European champions and World Cup runners-up England in fourth.
The USWNT might have endured their worst World Cup campaign in history in July and August but they have rallied since in friendly matches under caretaker boss Twila Kilgore. Five of their six matches since have ended in victory and they have conceded just one goal in matches with South Africa, Colombia and China. Kilgore will lead the squad into the Gold Cup and SheBelieves Cup in 2024 before Chelsea boss Emma Hayes takes charge in May.
As for Spain, their position at the top of the rankings has been solidified with five wins and a defeat since their triumph in Sydney. They will aim to add further silverware in February when they face the Netherlands, ranked seventh in the world, in the Nations League semifinals, the winner facing off against France or Germany. La Roja are just the fourth nation to hold first spot in the world after Germany, Sweden and the USA, who last topped the table in June.
FIFA Women's world rankings -- Top 10
| Nation | Points | +/- |
|---|---|---|
Spain | 2066.05 | +14.21 |
USA | 2045.12 | -6.09 |
France | 2021.69 | +17.52 |
England | 2014.19 | -15.95 |
Sweden | 1998.09 | -71.08 |
Germany | 1987.25 | -0.42 |
Netherlands | 1986.64 | +2.34 |
Japan | 1978.01 | +16.66 |
Korea DPR | 1950.87 | +3.74 |
Canada | 1948.58 | +3.74 |
