The Women’s World Cup champions, Spain, extended their lead in the FIFA rankings on Thursday, maintaining a clear advantage over second-ranked United States.
Spain successfully defended their title in the UEFA Nations League since the last rankings update in August, while the U.S. secured four wins in five friendly matches during that period.
Spain clinched the Nations League title last week by defeating Germany, which moved up two spots to No. 3 in the rankings. European champions England maintained their position at No. 4, while Sweden dropped two places to No. 5.
Brazil and France switched positions, now ranking at No. 6 and No. 7, respectively. Japan retained the No. 8 spot. North Korea climbed to No. 9, bumping Canada down to No. 10.