USWNT dropped below top three in FIFA rankings
The USWNT fell to a new low, No. 4 in the FIFA rankings since 2003.
Photo by: Gasner Delvarin Jr. | The USWNT stood waiting to sing their national anthem at the inaugural W Gold Cup 2024 final, while Brazil's anthem played on Sunday, Mar. 10, 2024, at Snapdragon Stadium.
Gasner Delvarin Jr.
March 15, 2024
The United States women's national team (USWNT) fell to a new low fourth place in the FIFA rankings despite their recent triumphed at the inaugural Women's Gold Cup. This latest ranking marks the lowest position of the team since FIFA began ranking women's teams in 2003.
A 2-0 upset to Mexico during the Concacaf W Gold Cup group stage contributed to the USWNT moving down from its previous standings of No. 2, swapping positions with England.
Meanwhile, that victory for Mexico was their second ever against the USWNT, which led to their rise to the 31st place, up from the No. 35.
Spain retained the top spot, England moved to the second place, France stayed at No.3, while the USWNT dropped to No. 4.
Respectively, in February, England's triumphs against Italy with a score of 5-1 and beat Austria 7-2 propelled the Lionesses to the second spot in the new rankings.
This USWNT defeat was the first under interim coach Twila Kilgore, who took over after the team's early exit from the Women's World Cup last year. Emma Hayes, the Chelsea manager, is set to replace Kilgore soon.
The recent Women's Gold Cup featured twelve teams across three cities: Carson, San Diego, and Houston. The goal is to enhance competition in the region.
Kilgore acknowledged the growing competitiveness in women's soccer, emphasizing the need for execution.
"I think it just shows how far the game is coming, and there's no easy games anymore," Kilgore said after the loss to Mexico. "And if we don't take care of business and we don't execute, this is to be expected."
The USWNT will play two SheBelieves Cup matches in April.
FIFA will publish the new rankings on June 14.
Gasner Delvarin Jr. is a writer for Sports Action Rundown. For more information regarding this or other stories, email gasner@sportsactionrundown.com