The Zambia Women’s National Team has moved five places up on the latest Coca-Cola FIFA World Rankings.
Qualification for the Olympic Women’s Football Tournament Paris 2024 has been the focal point for national teams in the OFC, UEFA and AFC in the first three months of the year.
Elsewhere, the 2024 West Asian Football Federation Women’s Championship and the 2024 Concacaf W Gold Cup have also been taking place.
The Copper Queens are now ranked 65th moving five places from their last ranking, 70th in December, 2023.
Zambia saw off Ghana 4-3 on aggregate in the third round of the 2024 Paris Olympics qualifiers last month.
- Spain consolidate top spot in FIFA/Coca-Cola Women’s World Ranking
- Record 193 national teams now ranked Solomon
- Islands the highest climbers
Leaders Spain (1st) have extended their advantage over their nearest challenger, which is now England (2nd, up 2). Though beaten in the UEFA Nations League final by La Roja, France (3rd) retained their place in the global top three.
Despite being crowned Concacaf champions on March 10, the USA (4th, down 2) slip out of that top three, paying a heavy price for a 2-0 group-phase defeat to Mexico. Germany (5th, up 1) move into the top 5, while Brazil (10th, up 1) slot back into a top 10 that also features Sweden (6th, down 1), Japan (7th, up 1), the Netherlands (8th, down 1) and Canada (9th, up 1).
Mexico (31st, up 4) and Slovenia (41st, up 3) are the highest climbers in the top 50, though the biggest moves of all are to be found further down the Ranking. Zambia (65th, up 5), Puerto Rico (85th, up 18) and Kosovo (91st, up 9) have each hit all-time highs, while Solomon Islands (88th, up 21) make the biggest jump of all, following wins over American Samoa, Fiji and Samoa.
In the process, Zambia, Puerto Rico, Kosovo and Solomon Islands have all achieved their highest ever points totals, as have Spain, El Salvador, Nepal, Lebanon, Tanzania and Saudi Arabia.
Finally, Iraq (172nd) have now joined the World Ranking, which now features a record 193 national teams. That figure could be eclipsed in June, with six more teams just one official match away from joining, namely Chad, Djibouti, Eritrea, Gibraltar, Libya and Sudan.
The next FIFA/Coca-Cola Women’s World Ranking will be published on 14 June 2024.
Leaders Spain
Moves into top 10 Brazil (11th to 10th)
Moves out of top 10 Korea DPR (9th to 11th)
Total number of matches played 126
Most matches played Brazil, USA (6)
Biggest move by points Solomon Islands (up 78.84)
Biggest move by places Solomon Islands (up 21)
Biggest drop by points Netherlands (down 35.03)
Biggest drop by places Samoa (down 10)
Newly ranked teams Iraq
Teams no longer ranked None
Click HERE to view the complete ranking.
Ummmmm we can do better.
Next rankings after AWCON will be far much better.