The Bangladesh women’s national football team have achieved a historic milestone by climbing 24 places in the latest FIFA women’s rankings, reaching their highest-ever position at 104th.
This remarkable rise comes on the back of an impressive run of results, including qualification for the final round of the AFC Women’s Asian Cup for the very first time.
FIFA released its updated women’s rankings today (Thursday), highlighting Bangladesh as the biggest mover of this ranking cycle. Not only did they gain the highest number of positions, but also amassed the most rating points, a significant +80.51, taking their total to 1179.87.
Bangladesh’s surge in the rankings reflects the team’s strong recent performances, particularly in the AFC Asian Cup qualifiers held in Myanmar. Ahead of the qualifiers, the team played preparatory matches in Jordan against both Jordan and Indonesia sides ranked 30 to 50 spots higher and managed to hold their own. This momentum continued into the qualifiers.
On 29 June, Bangladesh defeated Bahrain, who were 36 places above them, and followed that with a stunning 2–1 victory over hosts Myanmar on 2 July, who were ranked 73 places higher. These results secured Bangladesh’s first-ever berth in the Asian Cup finals, a significant achievement under the guidance of head coach Peter Butler.
Historically, Bangladesh had previously reached as high as 100th place in the FIFA rankings, twice in 2013 and 15 December 2017. However, this latest jump marks their best improvement in both position and points in any FIFA ranking to date. FIFA even made a special mention of Bangladesh in its official communication, acknowledging their exceptional progress.
The success of Rituparna, Afida and their teammates has not only elevated the team’s global standing but also opened the door for potential participation in the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup, an opportunity that now seems within reach.
In contrast, Bahrain, after their defeat, have plummeted 19 places to 111th, while Myanmar dropped one spot to 56th.