They may have captured the hearts of a nation but the Matildas have dropped a place in FIFA’s latest rankings following the Women’s World Cup.
A magnificent late-tournament surge, record television ratings and unprecedented media interest counted for nothing on the world governing body’s updated standings as the Matildas slipped out of the world’s top-10 for the first time in 2023.
After starting the World Cup ranked 10th – and despite reaching the semi-final stage of the global showpiece for the first time – Sam Kerr and company now find themselves at 11th.
A country’s ranking is calculated using a variety of criteria, including results, venue, the importance of the match and the difference in world ranking between the competing teams.
A group-stage loss to Nigeria contributed heavily to the Matildas ranking demotion while a semi-final defeat to England and a third-place play-off loss to Sweden were also factors.
For their part, Spain may have lifted the trophy after last weekend’s 1-0 final win over England, but they are not – officially at least – the best team in the world.
That honour goes to the Matildas’ third-place play-off conquerors Sweden, who replace the United States at the top of the rankings list – the first time in more than six years the US have not occupied pole position.
Germany are the only other team ever to have been formally ranked world No.1 by FIFA in the women’s game.
The US, who had held the No.1 spot since June 2017 and won back-to-back World Cups in 2015 and 2019, slip out of the top-two for the first time since the rankings were introduced in 2003.
Spain climb from sixth to second, pushing the US to third, while runners-up England and quarter-finalists France remain fourth and fifth respectively.
Japan (eighth) have returned to the top 10 following a run to the quarter-finals while tournament co-hosts New Zealand remain 26th after their group-stage exit.
World Cup debutants Morocco were the biggest movers, jumping 14 places to 58th.
– with Reuters
