UEFA’s rankings and the results from the inaugural FIFA Women Champions Cup align, though the discussion around it is more nuanced than many fans suggest.
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The last five years of the UEFA coefficient reflect the dominance of the Women’s Super League (WSL) as the premier league in Europe.
For the first time, England topped the rankings last season, thanks largely to the strong performances of its three top clubs. Manchester City was eliminated in the quarter-finals, Chelsea fell in the semi-finals to Barcelona, while Arsenal claimed victory against Barcelona in the final.
England managed to garner an impressive 6.167 points over Spain, 10.000 over France, and 11.167 over Germany.
In previous seasons, the point differentials among these associations were only three to five points, highlighting a significant leap from the English clubs.
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It’s key to note that the UEFA coefficient now accounts for both the UEFA Women’s Champions League and the UEFA Women Europa Cup.
UEFA women’s association club coefficients for the 2025/26 season show England leading the rankings ahead of Spain and France.
Currently, England continues to perform well, steadily gaining momentum against Spain, France, and Germany this season.
However, it’s essential to recognize that this could still change, as the top four nations can each earn a maximum of 2.333 points. For Spain to surpass England, Barcelona would need to win all three of their matches against FC Bayern and Arsenal would have to lose both matches against Lyon.
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Thus, according to UEFA, the WSL is mathematically positioned as the top league for elite teams at this moment.
Why do I emphasize elite teams? Because only the most competitive sides from each league qualify for UEFA tournaments. Despite this, fans often assert that their league is the best globally.
Until this season, there was no worldwide club competition for women’s teams. Finally, FIFA initiated the Intercontinental Cup for women’s clubs, dubbed the FIFA Women Champions Cup.
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The inaugural tournament was hosted in London to feature Arsenal, resulting in the club being crowned the champion for 2026.
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This tournament was designed exclusively for top teams, as only confederation champions were invited.
It’s noteworthy that it took FIFA over a decade to move from friendly tournaments like the Mobcast/Nestle Cup held between 2012-14 to establishing a proper intercontinental competition for clubs.
The final standings of the tournament showed that:
What conclusions can we draw from this tournament?
For 2026, UEFA stands as the top confederation, with Arsenal recognized as its leading club from the WSL.
As we approach the next season’s tournament, the official FIFA event has deemed the Barclays WSL the best league in the world.
Changes are anticipated in 2027 with the next FIFA Women Champions Cup and again in 2028 with the first-ever FIFA Club Women’s World Cup.