Expert calls out FIFA: Super Falcons deserve better ranking - 'Find a new way to calculate it!'

After Nigeria’s Super Falcons clinched their historic 10th Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) title undefeated, football analyst and Pulse Sports Nigeria’s managing editor, Joba, has challenged FIFA to revamp its women’s national team ranking system.

Despite the Falcons’ dominant performance and continental glory, Nigeria remains ranked 36th in the latest FIFA Women’s World Rankings, a position unchanged from March 2025.

Nigeria continues to hold Africa’s top spot in the rankings, yet critics argue that their global position fails to reflect the team’s current strength, especially after an unbeaten run culminating in an intense 3-2 final victory over Morocco.

Joba took to X (formerly Twitter) to voice his frustration, stating, “FIFA you need to find a new way to calculate the women’s football ranking because I don’t think there are 35 teams in the world that are better than the @NGSuper_Falcons.”

The FIFA Women’s World Ranking system, which is updated quarterly and is based on an Elo rating method adjusted for international results, including the importance of matches and the relative strength of opponents, has faced scrutiny before.

The system emphasises results over a long history and weights recent performance more heavily, but some football experts and fans contend it does not adequately reward breakthrough performances or regional dominance.

Nigeria’s Suffer Falcons, unbeaten in their last nine matches, have proven their quality on the continental stage, yet the ranking’s pace of adjustment and weighting of match outcomes appear slow or limited in capturing emerging power shifts in women’s football.

Joba’s call echoes broader discussions, where stakeholders urge FIFA to consider more dynamic metrics or incorporate qualitative factors to better reflect the evolving landscape of women’s football.

As Nigeria basks in the glow of Mission X’s success, the debate continues on how best to measure and recognse the achievements of rising powers in the game.

The next FIFA ranking release is scheduled for early August 2025, but for many Nigerian fans and analysts, the time for ranking reform is now.