Super Falcons Plummet to 43rd in FIFA Rankings After Cup Exit

The Super Falcons have dropped seven places to 43rd in the latest FIFA Women’s World Rankings, down from 36th. Despite this decline, they remain the highest-ranked women's team in Africa.

The drop follows a poor showing at the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations held in Morocco, where they lost their opening match 3-2 to Malawi, managed a 1-0 victory over Zambia, and won 6-2 against Egypt to reach the quarter-finals. However, they were eliminated after a 1-0 loss to Cameroon on August 9, which ended Nigeria's hopes of automatic qualification for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil.

This marked the first time the Falcons failed to reach the semi-finals of the tournament. Subsequently, they lost 2-1 to South Africa in a play-off match on August 13, resulting in Nigeria missing the Women’s World Cup for the first time since its inception in 1991.

On a positive note, the Falcons secured two victories over Comoros in the qualifying rounds for the 2028 Olympic Games. The next FIFA Women’s World Rankings will be released on December 7, 2026.