England pip France to third in latest FIFA womens rankings

by Steve Clare

With the World Cup in France less than nine months away, the USWNT still top the FIFA World rankings in womens football. Germany retain second place despite losing at home to Iceland in their qualifying group.

The most interesting change at the top sees England displace France in third, although the French women will have home advantage next year.

Canada stay fifth but there is a swap behind them, after Australia leap frog Japan into sixth. Brazil, Sweden and the Netherlands round out the top ten. The Dutch are not certain of their World Cup place yet needing to win their place via the playoffs after losing out to Norway in their group. Norway are 13th just behind Spain. The Swedes enter the top ten displacing North Korea who are 11th.

Other big movers include Scotland who move up two to 19th but still trail 18th placed Switzerland despite condemning the Swiss to a play off while winning that group. Scotland are the lowest placed European side to make the World Cup finals.

Denmark fall three to 16th having failed to qualify automatically. They meet the Dutch in the playoff semi final while Belgium play Switzerland in the other.

Scotland, Norway, Germany and Sweden have joined hosts France, England, Italy and Spain in the finals; with Belgium, Denmark, the Netherlands and Switzerland hoping to secure the final European place. Iceland failed to even make the playoffs and fall three places to 22nd.

The biggest movers are Venezuela who move up four to 54th, Northern Ireland who fall five placed to 61st, Jamaica who rise seven places to 64th and Panama who move up an incredible 75 places to 66th, El Salvador rise 41 places to 100th.

15 nations have qualified for the World Cup so far: Australia, Brazil, Chile, China, England, France (hosts), Germany, Italy, Japan, Norway, Scotland, South Korea, Spain, Sweden and Thailand who at 28th, are the lowest ranked side to definitely qualify.

There are  nine places yet to be filled: 3 from Africa, 1 from the European playoff, 3 from North/Central America, 1 from Oceania,  and a final slot from the play-off between Argentina and 4th-placed North/Central American side