Nigeria’s Super Falcons have dropped seven places to 43rd in the latest FIFA women’s world rankings released on Tuesday, October 20, 2026, but remain Africa’s highest-ranked women’s national football team.
According to the rankings published by FIFA, Nigeria fell from 36th position following a series of disappointing results in recent competitions.
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Despite the decline, the 10-time African champions remain ahead of South Africa, Morocco, Ghana and Zambia, who occupy the second to fifth positions among African teams, respectively.
The drop follows a difficult period for the Super Falcons, including their reported quarter-final elimination at the 2026 Africa Women’s Cup of Nations in Morocco, where they suffered defeats to Malawi and Cameroon.
Nigeria also lost 2-1 to South Africa in the playoffs for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup, adding to concerns about the team’s recent form.
However, the Falcons have recorded encouraging results in their qualifying campaign for the 2028 Olympic Games, defeating Comoros twice to advance their bid for a place at the tournament.
Globally, Spain retained the top spot in the women’s rankings, ahead of the United States, Germany, England and Japan.
The top five positions remained unchanged in the latest update.
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The Super Falcons will now look to improve their standing through stronger performances in upcoming international fixtures. FIFA is scheduled to release its next women’s world rankings on December 7, 2026.
