FIFA launches inaugural Women's World Ranking
(FIFAworldcup.com)
Updated: 2003-09-17 21:58

Ten years after the introduction of the men’s equivalent and to coincide with the Final Draw for the FIFA Women’s World Cup USA 2003, FIFA has launched a World Ranking for the women’s game. There are no major surprises in the pecking order in the first edition, but it looks set to be a very tense year as there is little between the teams at the top. The US lead the way ahead of Olympic champions Norway and European champions Germany, while China are within striking distance of the top three. Following on from the pacesetters are the omnipresent Swedes along with Brazil and Korea DPR – the reigning champions of South America and Asia respectively. Just ahead of their first major appearance on the international stage, newcomers to the European women’s football hierarchy France also make it into the Top Ten.

The World Ranking is determined on the basis of a performance rating that takes account of such factors as results, home advantage, importance of each match, and the difference in the strength of the two teams involved. The inaugural ranking has been calculated using a comprehensive database of over 3,000 matches played between 1971 and the present. FIFA has high hopes that the FIFA Women’s World Ranking will add further impetus to the sport, while also providing an accurate yardstick for comparing the 100+ national teams that are currently active and a starting point for statistical analysis of women’s football.

The “Big Count” FIFA conducted in 2001 indicated that there are 22 million active women footballers worldwide. Ninety-nine teams participated in the recently completed preliminary rounds of the FIFA Women’s World Cup, more than twice the number that took part in the qualifiers for the first FIFA Women’s World Cup in China 12 years ago.

Calculated and managed by FIFA in collaboration with international sports information provider Infostrada Sports, the ranking will appear four times each year.

The next FIFA Women’s World Ranking will be published on 29 August 2003.