Tanzania and Kenya have emerged as the standout performers in the latest FIFA/Coca-Cola Women’s World Ranking as African women’s football continues its remarkable rise on the global stage.
Both nations have soared seven spots, sharing the distinction of being the biggest climbers in terms of places, with Tanzania now positioned at 138th and Kenya at 142nd, while several other nations from the continent achieved significant progress in the latest ranking.
“Tanzania and Kenya share the honour of being this edition’s biggest climbers in terms of places, having both soared up seven spots,” the FIFA statement noted, with Tanzania also claiming the largest points increase, gaining an impressive 41.12 points.
The continental success extends beyond these two nations, with Burkina Faso (132nd) and Benin (147th) both climbing five places. Additionally, Cabo Verde has risen four spots to 125th, further highlighting the growing strength of African women’s football.
Another milestone for the continent is the debut of Djibouti, who enter the global rankings in 195th place. The future looks equally promising, with four more African sides—Chad, Eritrea, Libya and Sudan—just one official match away from making their first appearance in the standings.
This latest progress builds upon years of determined development in African women’s football. The continent has seen exponential growth since the early 2000s, with increased investment, improved infrastructure, and greater institutional support from national federations and CAF.
Morocco’s historic run to the final of the 2022 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations and Nigeria’s consistent performances at the FIFA Women’s World Cup have provided inspiration across the continent. South Africa’s qualification for consecutive World Cups has similarly demonstrated the rising standards.
The surge in rankings comes following CAF’s implementation of its women’s football strategy, which aims to develop the game at all levels across Africa. Investment in grassroots programmes, coaching education, and more competitive regional tournaments has begun bearing fruit, as evidenced by the improved performances in FIFA World Cup qualifiers.
While African teams celebrate their progress, at the top of the table, the United States maintains its leading position despite a 2-1 defeat to Japan in the SheBelieves Cup final. Spain (2nd), Germany (3rd) and England (4th) remain unchanged, while Japan has returned to the top five for the first time since December 2015.
The latest ranking marks several milestones, including a record 196 teams being ranked. Other notable risers include Puerto Rico (81st, up 4), Montenegro (84th, up 4), El Salvador (85th, up 5), and Cyprus (127th, up 6).
The next edition of the FIFA/Coca-Cola Women’s World Ranking will be published on 12 June 2025.
Click here to see the Ranking in full.
