Qualification for the Olympic Women’s Football Tournament Paris 2024 has been the focal point for national teams in the OFC, UEFA and AFC in the first three months of the year. Elsewhere, the 2024 West Asian Football Federation Women’s Championship and the 2024 Concacaf W Gold Cup have also been taking place.

In total, 126 international matches have been played during the period so far, prompting several changes in the FIFA/Coca-Cola Women’s World Ranking.

Spain have extended their advantage at the top after winning the UEFA Women’s Nations League title in February. The world champions’ nearest challengers are now England (2nd), with the Lionesses moving up two places following thumping wins over Italy and Austria. France (3rd) remain in the same position after being beaten by La Roja in the Nations League final.

Despite winning the inaugural W Gold Cup, USA (4th) slip two places due to their 2-0 group-stage defeat to Mexico. Germany (5th, up 1), meanwhile, have leapfrogged Sweden (6th, down 1).

Brazil (10th) rise one place to move back into the top ten, which is completed by Japan (7th, up 1), Netherlands (8th, down 1) and Canada (9th, up 1).

Mexico (31st, up 4) and Slovenia (41st, up 3) are the highest climbers in the top 50, though the biggest moves of all are to be found further down the Ranking. Zambia (65th, up 5), Puerto Rico (85th, up 18) and Kosovo (91st, up 9) have each hit all-time highs, while Solomon Islands (88th, up 21) make the biggest jump of all, following wins over American Samoa, Fiji and Samoa.

In the process, Zambia, Puerto Rico, Kosovo and Solomon Islands have all achieved their highest ever points totals, as have Spain, El Salvador, Nepal, Lebanon, Tanzania and Saudi Arabia.

Finally, Iraq (172nd) have now joined the World Ranking, which now features a record 193 national teams. That figure could be eclipsed in June, with six more teams just one official match away from joining, namely Chad, Djibouti, Eritrea, Gibraltar, Libya and Sudan.