Olympic Women’s Football Power Rankings: Spain Tops USA, AFC Teams in Top, Defending Champions Only Rank Sixth

With the Olympics on the horizon, GOAL has analyzed the strength of the teams ahead of the women’s football tournament. World Cup champions Spain lead the way over the United States, while AFC representatives Japan and Australia make the top five. The defending champions Canada are only ranked sixth.

The newly crowned World Cup champions, Spain’s women’s team, sit at the top of the rankings. However, according to GOAL, the Spanish team is not invincible, having suffered a 0-4 defeat to Japan last year and a 1-2 loss to the Czech Republic in mid-July. Despite their excellent Olympic record, the U.S. women’s team’s performances in recent tournaments have been less impressive, leaving them in second place.

France’s women’s team ranks third, with home advantage seen as key to their pursuit of Olympic gold. Two AFC teams, Australia and Japan, occupy fourth and fifth positions. Although Australia’s team will be without Sam Kerr, they still have a promising outlook. Japan’s team, meanwhile, recorded a 4-0 victory over Spain in last year’s World Cup.

Despite being the reigning Olympic champions, Canada’s women’s team had a mediocre performance in last year’s World Cup and only qualified for the Olympics through a playoff, leading to doubts about their prospects.

Brazil, Germany, Colombia, Nigeria, Zambia, and New Zealand rank seventh through twelfth. The decline of traditional powerhouses Brazil and Germany has surprised many observers.