FIFA’s April 2026 Women’s World Ranking landed with real movement at the top for the first time in months. Spain stayed at number one, the United States held second, and then almost everything else shifted. Japan’s AFC Asian Cup triumph powered them three places up, Sweden leaked three places down after a rocky 2027 World Cup qualifying window, and the Netherlands crept back into the top ten. With 276 competitive internationals played since December’s previous release — almost entirely 2027 World Cup qualifying for Brazil — it’s the kind of cycle that makes the current season’s player awards race look more open than the Aitana Bonmatí headlines suggest.
The top ten: Spain still immovable, Japan the big mover
- Spain — unchanged at No.1
- United States — unchanged at No.2
- England — up 1
- Germany — down 1
- Japan — up 3, biggest climber in the top ten
- Brazil — steady, hosts of the 2027 World Cup
- France — steady
- Sweden — down 3 after World Cup qualifying stumbles
- Canada — up 1
- Netherlands — up 1, back in the top ten
Below the top ten, Korea DPR sit at No.11, Denmark at No.12 and Norway at No.13. The ranking’s biggest climber outside the top ten was Mexico, up to No.27 on the back of their 2027 qualifying run.
Why Japan moved
Japan’s jump is the ranking’s cleanest result. They went six wins from six at the AFC Women’s Asian Cup 2026 to claim the continental crown. The Nadeshiko beat a physically stronger North Korea and a technically sharp China in the knockout rounds, and the points value of those wins — reigning continental champions are heavily weighted — pushed Japan above Brazil, France and Sweden in a single cycle. They also beat the United States, one of the cycle’s standout wins.
The domestic context matters. The WE League has quietly become a feeder for European clubs, with Mina Tanaka, Saki Kumagai and a growing pipeline of under-23s moving between J.League Women and Europe’s top flights. Japan’s technical profile now sits comfortably alongside Germany’s physicality and the United States’ depth.
Why Sweden fell
Sweden’s three-place drop looks ugly on paper but tracks a specific pattern: losses and draws in 2027 World Cup qualifying against mid-ranked European opposition. The Blågult squad is in transition — Magdalena Eriksson and Caroline Seger are now either retired or in a late-career role, and Filippa Angeldahl is carrying more creative load than the team is used to. Damallsvenskan form isn’t helping either; attendance is up but title races have been closer than in the pre-2023 cycle.
Who’s pushing for The Best 2026
December’s The Best FIFA Women’s Player ceremony in Doha saw Aitana Bonmatí win a third consecutive crown — a treble with the award that puts her in historic territory. She’s already three-quarters of the way to a fourth this season, carrying Barcelona through another UWCL campaign and a La Liga F defence in which Barça remain untouchable domestically.
But the field behind her is the most credible it has been since 2017. The 2025 shortlist ran 16 players deep — Sandy Baltimore, Nathalie Björn, Lucy Bronze, Mariona Caldentey, Temwa Chawinga, Kadidiatou Diani, Melchie Dumornay, Patri Guijarro, Lindsey Heaps, Lauren James, Chloe Kelly, Ewa Pajor, Clàudia Pina, Alexia Putellas, Alessia Russo and Leah Williamson. Almost the entire top tier plays in either WSL or La Liga F.
Who has the best case entering the final stretch of season 25/26?
- Ewa Pajor (Barcelona): top scoring rate in La Liga F plus UWCL knockouts — Golden Boot momentum that Bonmatí doesn’t carry.
- Lauren James (Chelsea): if Chelsea wins the WSL and goes deep in Europe, James’ end-product-per-90 is the easiest “eye test” narrative for voters.
- Temwa Chawinga (Kansas City Current): back-to-back NWSL Golden Boot contender. Voter bias against NWSL is the obstacle.
- Alexia Putellas (Barcelona): if Bonmatí tires, Putellas is the fallback vote that a lot of selectors are already warm to.
- Mariona Caldentey (Arsenal): if Arsenal win WSL, this is the anti-Bonmatí storyline — Spaniard succeeding outside of Spain.
What’s not in doubt is that the ceremony will likely be in Qatar again — the 2025 edition was held on 16 December 2025 at the Fairmont Katara Hall in Doha, with 800 guests in attendance.
How the FIFA ranking actually works
The women’s ranking uses the same SUM calculation as the men’s: an Elo-style formula where each match gives or takes points based on the pre-match ranking gap, the match importance (friendly vs. competitive vs. final), and the result. Home advantage and continental weighting (a CONMEBOL win against a lower-ranked CAF side is worth less than a UEFA win against the same team) are built in. Rankings refresh quarterly rather than monthly, which is why single windows — AFC Asian Cup, WC qualifying, FIFA Series — move teams so decisively.
What it means for the rest of season 25/26
The ranking is more than a talking point. It seeds the 2027 World Cup draw in Brazil, shapes coefficient calculations that influence which confederations get bonus slots, and feeds into UEFA’s own nations-league seeding for the 2028 Olympics qualifying pathway. A top-five position entering summer 2026 is worth meaningful competitive value, not just bragging rights.
Watch the June and September windows. France’s friendlies, England’s Arnold Clark Cup successor, and the US’s training camp results will all feed the next ranking. Japan have a good chance to hold on at No.5; Sweden will try to claw back lost points before Nations League seeding locks.
Frequently asked questions
Who is No. 1 in the women’s world ranking in April 2026?
Spain remain at No. 1, unchanged. The United States are at No. 2. England rose one place to No. 3, with Germany dropping to No. 4. Japan climbed three places to No. 5 and Brazil are No. 6.
Why did Japan climb three spots?
Japan won the AFC Women’s Asian Cup 2026 with six wins from six, including a win over the USA, and continental champion status plus the quality of opposition triggered a significant ranking bump.
Who won the FIFA Best Women’s Player 2025?
Aitana Bonmatí won The Best FIFA Women’s Player for a third consecutive year at the ceremony held on 16 December 2025 at the Fairmont Katara Hall in Doha, Qatar. Mariona Caldentey, Lucy Bronze, Lauren James and others were on the 16-player shortlist.
When is The Best FIFA Football Awards 2026?
The Best ceremony is held annually in mid-December. FIFA has not yet confirmed the venue for the 2026 edition but Qatar is likely to host again after the 2025 ceremony in Doha.
How does the FIFA Women’s World Ranking work?
It uses a SUM (Elo-style) calculation: each match’s points reflect the pre-match gap, match importance, and result. Rankings refresh quarterly. It feeds into 2027 World Cup seeding and confederation allocations.