Nigeria’s Super Falcons dropped from 36th to 43rd in the FIFA Women’s World Ranking released on Tuesday, 20 October, after losing 83.54 ranking points, the largest points decline recorded in the update, according to FIFA’s official release.
Premium Times and specialist outlet ACLSports both reported that Nigeria remained Africa’s highest-ranked women’s national team despite the seven-place fall. ACLSports put the team’s revised points tally at 1,518.02.
The ranking follows a difficult international period for Nigeria, including the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations and World Cup qualification matches. Rankings aggregate match results through FIFA’s points formula; they are not simply a measure of a team’s reputation or historical trophy record.
Why Did Nigeria Drop?
FIFA identified Nigeria as the side with the biggest drop in ranking points across the latest assessment. ACLSports linked the slide to the Super Falcons’ disappointing WAFCON campaign and subsequent qualification setbacks. The team failed to reach the tournament semi-finals and later lost a World Cup qualifying play-off to South Africa.
In this system, the strength of opponents and the importance of fixtures affect the points awarded or lost. A sharp decline can therefore reflect the accumulated effect of several results rather than one defeat.
The latest numbers are particularly striking because Nigeria has long been one of Africa’s dominant women’s teams. The national side’s history, however, cannot protect its position when recent results fall short.
Which African Teams Moved Up?
FIFA singled out Malawi as the biggest climber, rising 49 places to 104th after a historic run to the 2026 WAFCON final. Malawi gained 158.44 points, the largest increase in the new ranking, and qualified for the 2027 Women’s World Cup in Brazil.
Malawi’s run included a victory over Nigeria, underscoring how the continental balance can shift. Cameroon, who won the African title, rose nine places to 62nd, while Tanzania and Burkina Faso also advanced.
Not every African team improved. FIFA reported that Egypt fell 14 positions, the largest drop by ranking places, while Zimbabwe and DR Congo also moved down.
What Does the Global Table Show?
Spain retained the top position and widened their advantage over second-placed United States after winning one match and drawing another during their October meetings. Germany remained third, and Denmark returned to the top ten for the first time since 2010.
The release followed 183 international matches across recent windows. It illustrates how major tournaments, qualifiers, and friendlies together can alter the global standings.
What Happens Next?
FIFA has scheduled the next Women’s World Ranking for 7 December 2026. Nigeria’s future position will depend on its results and those of other teams before the next calculation; a rebound should not be assumed.
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