Nigeria rose from 37th to 36th in latest global rankings update.However, the improvement hides a drop in performance metrics and points. They now hold 1602 points, down from 1607 in December 2025. This marks their lowest tally since June 2023 before the World Cup. Back then, they had 1555 points ahead of Australia and New Zealand tournament.
After that competition, the Falcons surged to 1649 points and 32nd place. Since then, their form has steadily declined across successive ranking periods. They dropped to 34th in December 2023 with 1627 points recorded. Furthermore, they slipped to 36th in March 2024 with 1616 points. Results have fluctuated due to limited international fixtures and inconsistent performances.
Despite this, Nigeria remain Africa’s highest-ranked women’s national team currently. They sit over 20 places above South Africa in the standings. Ghana, Morocco, and Zambia follow as Africa’s next strongest sides. Globally, Spain remain top, while the United States occupy second place. England have overtaken Germany, while Japan rise into fifth position overall.
Nigeria’s recent inactivity includes only a friendly double-header against Cameroon. They lost one match but won the return leg in Yaoundé. April international window absence worsened preparation concerns within the national team setup. This raises worries ahead of 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations. The tournament also serves as World Cup qualification for 2027.
Meanwhile, June fixtures remain unconfirmed, limiting final preparation opportunities. Players including Ajibade and Nnadozie have criticised preparation gaps publicly. Nigeria’s preparation challenges have persisted across multiple international windows recently.
