The Football Ferns have risen in the latest Fifa women’s world football rankings, after falling to their lowest-ever position in December.
The New Zealand women qualified for the 2027 World Cup in Brazil after a strong run of form in the Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) qualifiers, capped off with a1-0 victory over Papua New Guinea at North Harbour Stadium.
The Football Fernshave climbed up two spots and now sit 33rd in the world rankings, 24 places ahead of Papua New Guinea in 57th, the next-highest-ranked OFC team.
The team hadn’t risen in the rankings since March 2024, when they moved from 30th to 28th position.
Since then, the Ferns have continued to fall to a low of 35th at the end of 2025 after a run of five straight losses to Mexico, the United States and Australia without scoring a goal.
However, since their first match of the second stage of World Cup qualification in February, the Ferns have scored 25 goals, aided by two 8-0 victories over Samoa and the Solomon Islands, and not conceded a single goal.
The Football Ferns have climbed up the world rankings after they qualified for the 2027 World Cup. Photo / Photosport
New Zealand still have a way to go to return to their all-time highest ranking of 16th, last achieved in March 2016.
Elsewhere, reigning World Cup champions Spain have remained at the top of the global women’s rankings, despite a recent loss to England, who themselves have moved into the top three.
Turkey, El Salvador, Kosovo, Nepal and Saudi Arabia have all reached their highest rankings ever, while American Samoa were lifted 17 places to 120th, rising by 33 places over the last two ranking updates.
Other OFC nations to improve include Samoa, who are now 86th in the world, and Tahiti in 122nd place.
Fiji, Solomon Islands, New Caledonia and Vanuatu have dropped to 79th, 89th, 104th and 111th respectively, while Tonga’s ranking remained unchanged at 116th.
