Spain is still on top. That’s the big headline as we cruise into 2026. If you’ve been following the women's football world rankings, you know the movement at the summit has been frantic lately. For years, the USWNT held a sort of mythical, unbreakable grip on the number one spot. That’s over. The landscape has shifted toward Europe, and specifically toward a Spanish side that seems to have cracked the code of possession and clinical finishing.
The December 2025 update from FIFA basically confirmed what we saw on the pitch: La Roja isn't budging. They finished the year at the peak after securing the UEFA Women's Nations League title, proving their World Cup win wasn't a fluke. They currently sit with 2094.89 points. It’s a comfortable lead, but the gap between the "Big Three" and the rest of the pack is shrinking. Fast.
How the women's football world rankings actually work
Most people think these rankings are just a tally of who won their last game. It’s way more complicated than that. FIFA uses an Elo-based system, which is honestly a bit like how chess rankings work. You don't just get points for winning; you get points based on who you beat and where you played.
Winning a friendly against a team ranked 100th? That barely moves the needle. But if you're Germany and you beat France in a high-stakes Nations League semi-final, you’re going to see a massive jump.
Specific factors that weigh in:
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- The importance of the match (World Cup games are worth 4x a friendly).
- Home-field advantage (the system actually "handicaps" the home team by adding 100 virtual points to their rating for the calculation).
- Goal difference.
- Expected vs. Actual results.
Basically, if a top-tier team only scrapes a 1-0 win against a massive underdog, they might actually lose ranking points because they underperformed the statistical expectation. It keeps the big teams on their toes.
The Top 10 breakdown as of early 2026
The top of the table looks like a "who’s who" of heavy hitters, but the order has flipped significantly over the last twelve months. Spain holds 1st, followed by the USA in 2nd. The Americans have stayed steady after some solid friendly wins against Italy, but they haven't done enough to leapfrog the Spaniards yet.
Germany is the biggest mover in the elite bracket, jumping up two spots to 3rd. Their run in the Nations League was impressive, even if they fell to Spain in the final. England, the Lionesses, are sitting in 4th. They’ve had a bit of a rocky transition period with injuries, but they remain the most dangerous threat in Europe alongside the leaders.
Sweden has slipped. They dropped to 5th after some tough losses in late 2025, specifically failing to get past Spain and then losing the third-place playoff to France. Brazil is quietly climbing back up, now sitting in 6th. They are preparing for the 2027 World Cup on home soil, and you can tell there's a new level of intensity in their camp.
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France (7th), Japan (8th), Korea DPR (9th), and Canada (10th) round out the elite group. Seeing North Korea back in the top ten is a fascinating storyline. They don't play as many games as the European sides, but when they do, they are incredibly efficient.
The underdogs making the most noise
While everyone watches the top five, the real drama in the women's football world rankings usually happens further down the list. We’re seeing massive growth in Africa and the Pacific.
Nicaragua, Burkina Faso, and American Samoa were the "winners" of the most recent update cycle. American Samoa, in particular, saw a huge points boost—over 63 points in a single window. That came from beating the Cook Islands and Tonga. It’s proof that the FIFA investment in these regions is starting to translate into competitive results.
Poland reached an all-time high of 24th recently. Under Nina Patalon, they’ve become a tactical nightmare for higher-ranked teams. Then you have Morocco, sitting just outside the top 10 at 11th. They are less than a point away from breaking into that elite tier for the first time in their history. If they keep up this form, they’ll be the first Arab nation to crack the top ten.
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Why these numbers matter for 2027
Rankings aren't just for bragging rights. They determine seeding for the upcoming FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil. If you’re ranked in the top seven, you’re almost guaranteed a "Pot 1" slot, meaning you avoid the other giants in the group stage.
Take a team like Colombia. They are currently 20th. They’ve shown they can beat anyone on their day, but because of their ranking, they’ll likely end up in a "Group of Death" with two other top-ten teams. That’s the brutal reality of the math.
Actionable insights for fans and bettors
If you're looking at these rankings to understand where the game is going, keep an eye on the "Points Change" column rather than just the rank.
- Watch the ELO drift: Teams like the USA are in a period of rebuilding. Their point total is stagnating while Spain and Germany are still accumulating.
- Follow the host factor: Brazil is 6th now, but expect them to rise. Host nations tend to schedule high-value friendlies to boost their ranking before a major tournament.
- The "Inactive" trap: Remember that teams who don't play for 48 months get dropped. This can lead to weird jumps when a team re-enters the fray after a long hiatus.
- Target the "Biggest Climbers": When a team like American Samoa or Burkina Faso starts jumping 15+ spots, it usually indicates a new coaching philosophy or a golden generation of players. They are often undervalued in match previews.
The next official update is scheduled for April 22, 2026. Until then, Spain remains the team to beat, and the rest of the world is just trying to figure out how to bridge that 37-point gap.