Nigeria’s women’s national football team have climbed one place to 36th in the latest FIFA Women’s World Rankings released on Tuesday, April 21, moving up from 37th in the previous update.
The Super Falcons also maintained their position as Africa’s highest-ranked women’s team, reaffirming their long-standing dominance on the continent despite limited international fixtures in recent months.
Since the last rankings in December, Nigeria’s activity included a friendly double-header against Cameroon. The Falcons lost the first match 1–0 but responded strongly with a 3–1 victory in the return fixture, a result that contributed to their improved ranking points.
Across Africa, Nigeria remain ahead of South Africa, who dropped three places to 58th, while Ghana rose to 59th and Morocco climbed to 62nd. Zambia stayed steady at 64th, with Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, and Algeria occupying 70th, 72nd, and 73rd respectively.
Globally, Spain retained the number one position, followed by the United States and England, who moved up to third. Japan recorded one of the biggest gains, rising to fifth after winning the AFC Women’s Asian Cup.
Brazil, France, Sweden, Canada, and the Netherlands complete the global top 10.
FIFA noted several notable movements in the rankings, including American Samoa’s 17-place rise and Suriname’s significant drop.
The next FIFA Women’s World Rankings will be released on June 16, with attention now shifting to upcoming continental competitions and World Cup qualification pathways.
