African champions, the Nigeria Super Falcons, hold their position at the top of African women’s football despite dropping points, according to the latest FIFA Women’s World Ranking, www.aclsports.com reports.
The ranking, released on Thursday, 11 December 2025, sees 2024 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) winners Nigeria ranked 37th globally, making them the highest-placed team in Africa. Despite a slight drop of 23.77 points from their previous ranking, moving from 36th to 37th globally, the Falcons remain the continent’s benchmark.
Since the previous FIFA ranking four months ago, Nigeria played two key 2026 WAFCON qualifiers against Benin Republic, winning 2-0 in the first leg and drawing 1-1 at home in the return leg, qualifying 3-1 on aggregate, and did not participate in the last FIFA international window.
South Africa sit second in Africa at 55th worldwide, dropping one place from 54th, followed by Ghana (62nd), up from sixth in Africa. Zambia (64th), Morocco (66th), who dropped two places, and Cameroon (70th) round out the top five. Completing Africa’s top ten are Algeria, Côte d’Ivoire, Mali, and Senegal, reflecting the growing competitiveness across the continent.
Mali (85th) and Egypt (101st) slipped six places each, while Cameroon dropped four. Kenya moved up to 133rd globally, now 21st in Africa. Chad and Libya make their FIFA ranking debuts after competing in the FIFA United Women’s Series, bringing the total number of member associations in the women’s rankings to a record 198.
On the global stage, world champions Spain remain top after winning the UEFA Women’s Nations League, with the United States in second. Germany rose two places to third, followed by England (fourth), Sweden (fifth), Brazil (sixth), and France (seventh).
The next FIFA Women’s World Ranking will provide a fresh snapshot of international women’s football in 2026.
