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As the final international window closes and the oldest major women's football tournament looms, we take a look at the updated rankings of our competing nations.

The Top 3

Japan, DPR Korea and Australia now sit within the top 15 teams in the world, each ranked 8th, 9th, and 15th respectively. With very little separating these front-runners, the competition for top spot has never been closer.

Ascending the Ladder

5 qualified teams have moved up the rankings after an incredibly competitive last few months.

• DPR Korea moved up one spot, from 10th to 9th.
• Vietnam move from 36th to 35th after 5 consecutive wins earlier in the year.
• Chinese Taipei moved up 2 spots, jumping the Philippines as they reach 40th, their highest rank since March of 2024.
• Uzbekistan was the biggest climber of all the teams, moving up 3 spots to 49th
• IR Iran moved up two spots to 68th, one spot behind India.

Closing the gap

The competition within the group stage has never been closer. At the conclusion of the new rankings, some teams find themselves within one place of each other, meaning even if the top ranked teams in the groups progress, the contest for vital 2nd and 3rd place spots, in addition to the playoffs for the FIFA Women's World Cup, will be fiercer than ever.

There are less than 15 spots separating the top 5 teams, with 8th ranked Japan only 13 spots clear of 21 Ranked Korea Republic.

In the middle of the rankings, Vietnam, Philippines, and Chinese Taipei are even closer, with only 5 spots separating the three teams.

Even in recent matches, Philippines have beaten the higher ranked Vietnam, showing that come the AFC Women's Asian Cup Australia 2026, there is no telling who will progress from the group stages.

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