Because the summer season worldwide window closes and we are saying farewell to the 2025 UEFA Girls’s Euro, Girls’s Afcon, and the 2025 Copa America Femenina, it is time to crank up the warmth on the build-up to the 2027 FIFA Girls’s World Cup. The most important girls’s match is about to happen in Brazil, and a few nations have already secured their spots of their respective World Cup qualifying competitions, that are scheduled to start later this yr and conclude in 2026.
England prolonged their reign over Europe throughout their comeback run all through the 2025 Euro and at the moment are two-time Euro champions, whereas 2023 World Cup champions Spain needed to accept runners-up. The Euros delivered countless targets within the group stage and excessive drama within the knockouts, with extra-time matches and penalty shootouts, together with within the last, the place Chloe Kelly scored the title-deciding penalty. The U.S. girls’s nationwide staff closed out their summer season early, with a five-game win streak, pulling off victories towards Canada, Eire, Jamaica, and China.
Whereas the United States, England, and Spain are prone to type a “massive three” within the globe, on the subject of groups sneaking into the rankings, any staff can problem one other. Nigeria reclaimed the title as Africa’s finest with their tenth Girls’s Afcon title over Morocco. Brazil has already certified for the 2027 World Cup as host nation, however they’re nonetheless on the hunt for an additional Copa America championship, however Uruguay, Colombia, and Argentina are hopeful to disrupt Brazil’s run.
The 2027 World Cup is 23 months away, and prime nationwide groups are locked into preparations for the lengthy journey to Brazil. However the place do they rank based mostly on present type?
1. USWNT
The latest winners of a world match, the whole first half of the yr has been a flex for this system to indicate how deep it’s after the 2024 Olympic gold medal win. Head coach Emma Hayes has mastered roster pool growth and refining staff id by prioritizing the gamers and the general long-term program targets. The USWNT returned to international prominence with their prime podium end in Paris, and below Hayes, stay the gold commonplace for efficiency, attacking prowess, and now tactical skill.
2. England
There isn’t any denying the unimaginable efforts England made to construct on their program’s historical past. Again-to-back Euro champions is a near-impossible feat for many packages, however not for the Lionesses. They confirmed off one other facet of their program with resiliency below supervisor Sarina Wiegman, and a reminder that typically glory comes with a worth, as defender Lucy Bronze performed by means of a fractured tibia.
3. Spain
The 2023 World Cup champions needed to accept runners-up on the Euro, however regardless of the penalty heartbreak, their technical brilliance led the march towards the ultimate. They will have an opportunity to make one other assertion through the upcoming UEFA Nations League, however their Euro efficiency confirmed as soon as once more they are a prime aspect on the planet. Their possession-based fashion with a midfield of maestros in Aitana Bonmati, Alexia Putellas, and Patri Guajirro will hold them elite.
4. Brazil
The 2027 World Cup hosts are on the rise following their silver medal end on the 2024 Olympics. They handed the USWNT certainly one of their two losses this yr, and are presently dominating the Copa America. The group is constructing towards a house World Cup as Marta’s presence remains to be an element for the squad, and her legacy is inspiring a brand new era of gamers. Supervisor Arthur Elias has his staff competing with their signature aptitude, mixed with defensive efforts.
5. Germany
It was hurdle after hurdle for the squad through the Euros, however Germany’s pedigree stays. They discovered a option to the semifinals because of goalkeeping heroics by Ann-Katrin Berger and fell quick to eventual runners-up Spain. Though Lena Oberdorf has been sidelined as she works again from an ACL damage, Jule Model, Klara Buhl, and Sjoeke Nüsken stay gamers to construct this system round.
6. Sweden
Veteran Kosovare Asllani spoke up for her squad towards critics and oddsmakers who underrated Sweden through the Euros, however sadly, the staff squandered a two-goal lead within the quarterfinal towards England, they usually keep exterior the highest 5 of this rating as effectively. Regardless of always being the impediment in others’ success tales, moderately than having a trophy of their very own, they’re nonetheless a tricky opponent who will stay a top-ten staff with loads of expertise within the pipeline with Rosa Kafaji and Hanna Bennison.
7. Japan
The Nadeshiko delivered an early loss to the USWNT and received the 2025 SheBelieves Cup earlier this yr. Their disciplined technicality on the ball makes them a difficult opponent to go up towards, and their skill to share attacking accountability affords a layer of unpredictability for defenders. They will solely get stronger as they combine extra youth to stability with veterans.
8. France
Head coach Laurent Bonadei made a press release together with his roster selections forward of the Euros, leaving off veterans Eugénie Le Sommer and Wendie Renard, and one other quarterfinal exit for France will simply imply extra questions across the staff’s skill in high-stakes tournaments. Onerous to depend out a staff with thrilling attacking abilities in Delphine Cascarino, Marie Antoinette Katoto, and Sandy Baltimore, however consistency towards prime groups within the knockout rounds stays elusive.
9. Nigeria
A bunch that brought on England loads of nervousness and troubles through the 2023 World Cup, regardless of being owed back-pay and an absence of assets, marched proper again to the highest of the Girls’s Afcon match this yr. Extra official, governing body-type rankings seemingly will not have an African nation within the prime ten, however that is not the case right here. There isn’t any manner we may go away Africa’s powerhouse, the Tremendous Falcons, off the listing. Prime of the package rankings should not be the one place the place they function, and after lacking out on the Girls’s Afcon title in 2022, the group accomplished their “Mission X” for a tenth title. Think about Rasheedat Ajibade and Asisat Oshoala, and Jennifer Echegini may do with extra assist.
10. Canada
This staff is sitting in final place and barely hanging on. They have a maintain as a result of they’ve nice gamers whose abilities can decide the outcomes of video games, and the federation managed to rent a strong coach in Casey Stoney to begin the yr. However the reality is they are a staff that has considerably regressed since their 2020 Tokyo Olympics gold medal run. Stoney was vocal concerning the methods this system and gamers fell quick after their 2-0 loss towards the USWNT in July, and the roster wants extra assist in the event that they’re to enhance transferring ahead.
Honorable mentions
Italy: The roster confirmed vital evolution below head coach Andrea Soncin. They defied expectations through the Euro with a mixture of tactical consciousness and key gamers stepping up as they bowed out of the semifinals towards eventual match winners England. If they will work on defensive lapses and construct on their techniques, they may leap into the highest ten.
Colombia: Las Chicas Superpoderosas aren’t some imitation Powerpuff Women, however a gaggle who’ve emerged as bona fide continental figures for South America. They’re presently on the hunt to take Brazil’s crown within the Copa America, and with Chelsea FC’s Mayra Ramirez and Actual Madrid’s Linda Caicedo, they may rival the crown and leap into our rankings.
Netherlands: The Dutch appear to be an evaporating model of their 2017 Euro championship run. The roster struggled with its group of loss of life draw within the Euro, now their early elimination means the federation must get the following teaching rent proper, as they’re going to must sort out questions round an getting older squad and rejuvenate the staff within the build-up to the 2027 World Cup, a full decade from their historic Euro title-run.
