Portugal Women Fall to 24th in FIFA Rankings After Play-Offs
Despite a dominant display in their recent World Cup qualifying play-offs, the Portuguese women’s national football team has slipped two spots to 24th in the latest FIFA rankings released today.
Portugal entered the update on the heels of two convincing victories over Northern Ireland in the first round of the European play-offs. Francisco Neto’s side secured a commanding 4-0 win away from home before following it up with a 3-1 victory on home soil. However, these results were not enough to prevent a slight slide in the global standings.
A Tough Road Ahead
Portugal now turns its attention to the final qualifying round for the 2027 World Cup, where they will face a formidable opponent in Iceland. The Icelandic squad is currently trending in the opposite direction, climbing to 16th in the world hierarchy.
Portugal’s current standing remains five spots below its all-time high of 19th, a milestone reached in August 2023 following their historic debut appearance at the World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.
Global Leaders and Lusophone Standings
At the top of the table, world champions Spain retain their number one ranking. They are followed by the United States in second—who recently split a two-game friendly series with the Spaniards—and Germany in third.
Brazil leads the way for Portuguese-speaking nations, holding steady in 7th place as they prepare to host the 2027 tournament. Other Lusophone nations in the rankings include Cape Verde (121st), Angola (153rd), Timor-Leste (158th), Mozambique (173rd), Macau (175th), and Guinea-Bissau (176th).
The FIFA rankings will be updated again on December 7, following the next window of international fixtures.
Image: Pexels – Maria Molina
