Details on the FIFA women’s rankings of the national teams at the final stage of the 2023 Women’s World Cup.
2023 Women’s World Cup Power Rankings
The reigning champions, the United States, currently holds the top position in the FIFA rankings, a position they have maintained since 2017. On the other hand, the lowest-ranked team is Zambia, representing Africa, in 77th place.
| Rank | National Team | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | United States | 2090.03 |
| 2 | Germany | 2061.56 |
| 3 | Sweden | 2049.71 |
| 4 | England | 2040.76 |
| 5 | France | 2026.65 |
| 6 | Spain | 2002.28 |
| 7 | Canada | 1996.34 |
| 8 | Brazil | 1995.3 |
| 9 | Netherlands | 1980.47 |
| 10 | Australia | 1919.69 |
| 11 | Japan | 1916.68 |
| 12 | Norway | 1908.25 |
| 13 | Denmark | 1866.25 |
| 14 | China PR | 1854.49 |
| 16 | Italy | 1846.5 |
| 17 | South Korea | 1840.27 |
| 20 | Switzerland | 1765.9 |
| 21 | Portugal | 1745.13 |
| 22 | Republic of Ireland | 1743.59 |
| 25 | Colombia | 1702.64 |
| 26 | New Zealand | 1699.7 |
| 28 | Argentina | 1682.45 |
| 32 | Vietnam | 1648.89 |
| 36 | Costa Rica | 1596.94 |
| 40 | Nigeria | 1554.94 |
| 43 | Jamaica | 1536.81 |
| 44 | Philippines | 1512.97 |
| 52 | Panama | 1482.51 |
| 53 | Haiti | 1475.33 |
| 54 | South Africa | 1471.52 |
| 72 | Morocco | 1334.08 |
| 77 | Zambia | 1298.31 |
The highest-ranked team that did not qualify for the 2023 Women’s World Cup is Iceland, ranked 15th.
Also read: 5 Best Women Football Teams In the World
Does being at the top of the FIFA rankings guarantee winning the World Cup?
In the four World Cups since the FIFA rankings were first published in 2003, the team that topped the rankings— the United States (on all four occasions)— failed to win the tournament. They were eliminated by Germany and later by Brazil in the semi-finals.
They reached the final in 2011 but were shockingly defeated by Japan in a penalty shootout.
The United States eventually won the World Cup in 2015, but they achieved this while being ranked second in the FIFA rankings. Germany was at the top during that time, and coincidentally, it was the United States who defeated Germany in the semi-finals.
The first World Cup in which the team at the top of the FIFA rankings won the tournament was in 2019 when the United States staged a comeback and defeated the Netherlands 2-0 in the final.
How is the FIFA Women’s Ranking calculated?
To be ranked, a team must play at least five matches, including one match in the last 18 months.
According to FIFA, the teams are “ranked by a value that measures their actual strength,” meaning smaller teams are not adversely affected by heavy losses against much stronger teams, while stronger teams earn fewer points with dominant victories over weaker teams.
The important criteria determining the points a team receives are the result of the match, whether the match is played at home, away, or on neutral ground, the significance of the match, and the ranking difference between the two sides.
The formula FIFA uses to determine the points a team receives in each match is:
P Before [pre-match points] + K [‘importance’ of the match] * (R Actual [actual result] – R Expected [expected result]).
The ‘actual’ result figure takes into account the number of goals a winning or losing team scores, while the ‘expected’ result is based on the percentage chance a team has of winning the match before it begins.
Why is the FIFA ranking important in each World Cup?
The FIFA world rankings hold significant importance in the World Cup as they help determine the groupings in the draw.
All 32 teams are divided into four pots, with two host nations and the eight highest-ranked teams placed in Pot 1, while the remaining teams are distributed among the other three pots based on their rankings. The higher-ranked teams are placed in Pot 2, and the lowest-ranked teams are placed in Pot 4.
Therefore, in theory, the highest-ranked teams benefit by facing ‘weaker’ teams in the group stage, while the lower-ranked teams are likely to face at least one — and possibly more — top 10 nations in their group.
However, rankings can change significantly between the draw and the tournament, meaning teams in the same group can have more even rankings at the start of the matches.
When is the FIFA Ranking updated?
The FIFA Ranking is updated four times a year.
As of 2023, there has been one update, which took place on June 9th. The next update will occur just a few days after the World Cup concludes on August 25th, ensuring significant changes based on the performance of teams in the tournament.
So there you have it – the FIFA Women’s rankings of the national teams at the final stage of the 2023 Women’s World Cup. Follow Women’s League Soccer to get informed about the latest trends and updates on women’s soccer.
