Nigeria’s Super Falcons have dropped seven places to 43rd in the latest FIFA Women’s World Rankings released on Tuesday, 20 October 2026, despite retaining their position as Africa’s highest-ranked women’s national team.
The 10-time African champions fell from 36th in the previous ranking published in June after losing 83.54 points, bringing their latest points tally to 1,518.02.
Despite the decline, Nigeria remain ahead of their African rivals, with South Africa ranked second on the continent, followed by Cameroon, Morocco, Ghana and Zambia.
The drop follows a difficult period for the Super Falcons, particularly their campaign at the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) in Morocco, where they failed to reach the semi-finals for the first time in the tournament’s history.
Nigeria began the competition with a 3-2 defeat to Malawi before recovering with victories over Zambia and Egypt. Their campaign ended with a 1-0 quarter-final loss to Cameroon.
The Super Falcons subsequently suffered a 2-1 defeat to South Africa in the play-offs for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup, adding to their recent disappointing results on the international stage.
However, the Nigerian side recorded some positive results in their bid to qualify for the 2028 Olympic Games, securing two victories over Comoros in the qualifying rounds.
At the top of the global rankings, Spain retained first place, followed by the United States, Germany, England and Japan.
Malawi recorded the biggest improvement in the latest update, climbing 49 places to 104th after reaching the WAFCON final and securing qualification for the 2027 Women’s World Cup.
The latest rankings highlight the need for improved performances as the Super Falcons prepare for future international assignments and seek to consolidate their position among the leading teams in women’s football.
The next edition of the FIFA Women’s World Rankings is scheduled for release on Monday, 7 December 2026.
