Latest FIFA Women’s Rankings: Best International Teams in the World
How do you know the teams to keep an eye on when betting on women’s football? If you are to make sensible decisions, then you have to be aware of how different teams perform. For example, is Papua New Guinea worth your money? The FIFA women's world rankings are one resource that provides this information. The list offers the latest evaluation of international women’s teams based on a tested formula. How does FIFA arrive at these rankings, though? If you grasp how Women’s World Rankings work, you can be confident about applying them in your betting choices.
History of FIFA Women’s World Rankings (WWR)
Fédération Internationale de Football Association is the body that governs international football, beach soccer and futsal. The organisation is responsible for overseeing women’s football among its member associations. Women’s football might not be at the same level as their male counterparts, but the game has been growing dramatically. The first international game between two women’s national teams was in 1971, but it wasn’t until 1991 that FIFA held its inaugural tournament - the FIFA Women’s World Championship.
FIFA published the first rankings of the women’s national sides in July 2003 to compare the strengths of active teams. When the governing body began ranking women’s teams, it applied a similar formula as the men’s rankings. So, the results faced the same criticism. Football analysts and fans didn’t believe they accurately reflected a team’s capabilities, leading to revisions of the ranking system. The rankings are calculated based on every international match a team has been in. Coca-Cola sponsors the World Women’s Ranking.
FIFA Women Ranking Leaders
Since world rankings were introduced, only three teams, USA, Germany and Sweden, have held the number one spot. The US women’s national team is the most dominant in the world and has occupied the No. 1 spot for a total of 14 years. From March 2008 to December 2014, the USA led the rankings for seven consecutive years. Germany has been No. 1 for a combined period of 4.5 years. The longest it held the position was between 2005 and 2007. At some point, the two women’s football teams were both first for three months. Since the initial rankings, Brazil, Norway, Sweden and England have been No. 2 a total of six times.
How Are FIFA Women's World Rankings Calculated?
Learning how the ranking system works gives you an idea of how FIFA assigns value to each team. The formula used to calculate women’s rankings is:
- R,new = R,old + (actual result - expected result)
Another formula is employed to determine the value of the actual match result. A percentage is awarded to a team depending on how a game turns out. In a win-lose outcome, the percentage is divided according to the goal difference. When teams draw, both receive the same points, but the exact number depends on the goals scored. By design, the rating points that a winning side collects depend on the strength of its opponent.
Winning over a weaker team does not make as big a difference in WWR's standing as winning over a stronger opponent does.
The calculation method also includes a match importance factor. An international match does not have the same weight as a friendly. Teams playing on home grounds get 66% of the available points, while away teams collect the remaining 34%. 1300 is the average points that teams earn per the ranking, but the highest ranking teams score more than 2000.
Ranking Schedule - When Are Rankings Published?
The FIFA Women’s World Rankings are available four times annually. FIFA announces the dates when the results will be available in advance. Therefore, the teams, football analysts and bettors know what to watch out for. As of this piece, two editions of the 2022 rankings have been published, on March 25 and June 17. The remaining will be released on August 5 and December 9. The official FIFA website has this information.
Confederation Women’s Rankings
FIFA member associations belong to continental confederations that are subordinate to the global football body. The confederation set up for women's football is the same as in the men’s game. Below are the five main confederations national teams can be part of.
CONMEBOL
The South American Football Confederation is responsible for governing continental football in South America. CONMEBOL runs several national competitions, with Copa América Feminina being the largest tournament in the region. All 10 member associations have women’s national teams. Brazil is the strongest team in the confederation, ranking No. 1 since 2013. Colombia and Argentina have been switching between second and third place. No CONMEBOL national team has ever won the FIFA World Cup, although Brazil has come in second and third.
UEFA
The Union of European Football Associations governs the sport in Europe, Asia, Israel and Eurasian countries. Each of its 55-member associations has a women’s national team. UEFA is the strongest confederation in women’s football. The first 12 teams on the latest UEFA ranking are in the top 20 of the FIFA Women’s ranking as of June 2022. Sweden currently leads both lists. However, Germany has been the most dominant in the confederation. It’s the only UEFA national team to top the women’s world ranking and has two World Cups. Norway has won the World Cup once.
CONCACAF
The Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football organises national and club competitions for football teams in North and South America. 41 countries and territories are part of CONCACAF. The USA is the most prominent women’s side in the region. The American women’s team ranks higher than the men’s, with four World Cup titles and four Olympic gold medals.
CAF
The Confederation of African Football oversees the biggest FIFA continental confederation, with 54 full members and 2 associates. Somalia, although part of FIFA, doesn’t have a women’s team. CAF runs the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, which qualifies four teams for the World Cup. Nigeria is the confederation’s strongest national team, ranking No. 1 since 2003. No CAF member association has won the FIFA Women’s World Cup.
AFC
In Asia and Oceania, the Asian Football Confederation is the sport’s governing body, overseeing 47 member associations. Not all AFC members have women’s teams, though. The AFC Asian Women’s Cup is the biggest national competition in the region, and China has won it nine times. North Korea is the current AFC ranking leader. Australia and Japan have held the position several times.
How Does FIFA World Ranking Affect The Women’s World Cup?
The position of a national team in the women’s rankings determines who it plays in the Women's World Cup group stages. Although it’s not the only factor, FIFA rankings are used when seeding teams. Therefore, whether New Zealand Nzl gets a stronger or weaker team influences its chances.
FAQ on FIFA Women’s World Rankings
Now you know a bit about the women’s football world rankings. The following section explores a few other elements you might be interested in.
What is the Point of FIFA Women's Rankings?
A nation team’s rating points say a few things about it. For one, it provides a tangible assessment of how a particular country is doing in various competitions. You can tell how a team is doing over a specific period by looking at its point score and position. When FIFA established the FIFA women's world rankings, it wanted to give the game equal importance to men’s football. The ranking allows the governing body to make a statistical analysis of the sport.
Are FIFA-Recognised Women’s International Teams the Same as Men’s Football?
Most FIFA member associations have women’s teams. However, not all of them appear in the rankings. Some of the national teams in the men’s rankings don’t have corresponding women’s sides, or do, but are inactive. The AFC is one of the confederations with fewer women’s teams than men’s teams in the rankings. Oman, Brunei and Yemen are examples of FIFA and AFC member associations without women’s sides.
When Does FIFA Update Its Women’s Rankings?
Football’s world governing body publishes the women’s rankings for times in a year. The release dates are announced at the start of the year. In 2022, FIFA published the list on March 25 and June 17, with the remaining rankings coming on August 5 and December 9.
How Often are FIFA Rankings Updated On Oddspedia?
When using Oddspedia to check the women’s world ranking, you can be sure about finding accurate and updated details. As soon as FIFA has published the rankings, they are available on the platform because all information is in real-time.
Where Are England In The Current FIFA World Rankings?
The Lionesses are at No. 4 in the latest world rankings, scoring 2030.14 points.
How Does FIFA Rank Women’s National Teams?
FIFA uses a mathematical formula to calculate the rating points of international women’s teams. When ranking a team, FIFA looks at the difference in WWR between the teams, the match result and the importance of the match. The system also weights where games take place – home, away or on neutral ground. Besides looking at whether a team loses, wins or draws, the method also factors in the goal difference.
Where Can I Find The Current FIFA World Rankings?
The official FIFA website posts the women’s football rankings immediately after they are out. So, expect to find up-to-date results of how international teams fared since the last evaluation.
Does The No. 1 Ranked Women’s Team Generally Win The World Cup?
Even though the world ranking shows a team’s quality, it doesn’t guarantee success at the World Cup. However, the top team has a few advantages, including how it’s seeded, and bookmakers look at these when offering odds. The No. 1 team is a favourite at sports betting sites.
Do Men’s and Women’s National Teams Have the Same FIFA Ranking?
No, they don’t. The ranking system gauges national teams individually, based on their performances in different matches. Hence, a women’s team from one country doesn’t necessarily rank the same as its male counterparts.
