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Women’s World Cup Power Rankings: Re-ranking all 16 teams after the group stage

By Caden Charpentier

TOPSHOT - Japan's midfielder #07 Hinata Miyazawa celebrates with her teammates after scoring her team's first goal during the Australia and New Zealand 2023 Women's World Cup Group C football match between Japan and Spain at Wellington Stadium, also known as Sky Stadium, in Wellington on July 31, 2023. (Photo by Marty MELVILLE / AFP) (Photo by MARTY MELVILLE/AFP via Getty Images)
TOPSHOT - Japan's midfielder #07 Hinata Miyazawa celebrates with her teammates after scoring her team's first goal during the Australia and New Zealand 2023 Women's World Cup Group C football match between Japan and Spain at Wellington Stadium, also known as Sky Stadium, in Wellington on July 31, 2023. (Photo by Marty MELVILLE / AFP) (Photo by MARTY MELVILLE/AFP via Getty Images) /
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PERTH, AUSTRALIA – AUGUST 03: Fatima Tagnaout and Fatima Tagnaout of Morocco celebrate advancing to the knock out stage after the 1-0 victory in the FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023 Group H match between Morocco and Colombia at Perth Rectangular Stadium on August 03, 2023 in Perth, Australia. (Photo by Paul Kane/Getty Images)
PERTH, AUSTRALIA – AUGUST 03: Fatima Tagnaout and Fatima Tagnaout of Morocco celebrate advancing to the knock out stage after the 1-0 victory in the FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023 Group H match between Morocco and Colombia at Perth Rectangular Stadium on August 03, 2023 in Perth, Australia. (Photo by Paul Kane/Getty Images) /

With one of the most competitive group stages in Women’s World Cup history in the rearview mirror, all eyes turn to what is bound to be a dramatic knockout round. 

Whether it was goalkeepers stepping up in big moments, or defenses holding firm against some of the most prolific attacks in the world, this World Cup has more than exemplified the fact that the gap between the top and bottom is beginning to close. Eight debutants were featured in Australia and New Zealand with one of them remarkably moving on out of Group H. Even those who fell short, it was evident they held their own.

Unlike other tournaments of the past in women’s football, this one is simply unpredictable. Anybody can be beaten on any given day. It is not best of three, it is win or go home. Those are the stakes. This is what every professional footballer dreams of when growing their love for the greatest game the world.

32 teams have shrunk down to 16. Three out of FIFA’s Top 10 will not be in the last 16 of this World Cup. The path to the World Cup final is set. Here is where the last 16 nations within this 2023 Women’s World Cup rank before the chaos ensues.

2023 Women’s World Cup: Ranking all 16 knockout stage teams

No. 16: Morocco

FIFA Ranking: 72

Reynald Pedros’ Morocco began the tournament with a 6-0 defeat to the 2022 runners-up at the European championships. 10 days after that match, the Lionesses of Atlas upset Colombia to qualify for the knockout stage instead of Germany. Pedros’ side is the only nation with a negative goal differential to advantage into the Round of 16. Back-to-back 1-0 triumphs against South Korea and Colombia to pull off the remarkable. Goals from former Paris Saint-Germain youth player Anissa Lahmari, and forward Ibtissam Jraïdi were the differences.

Not only is it one of the biggest surprises in Women’s World Cup history, it has to be considered one of the most shocking results in general World Cup lore. Morocco was not a part of the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations tournament between 2002 through 2020. The No. 72 ranked team according to FIFA was given the right to host the competition.

With that, Pedros’ team went all the way to the final, defeating African powerhouse Nigeria on penalties before falling short against South Africa. While this story may conclude against the French, Morocco demonstrated to the entire football world that even though you may be down, there is always a way to get back up.

No. 15: South Africa

FIFA Ranking: 54

Nobody would have imagined in their second-ever World Cup that Banyana Banyana would be advancing past the group stage. From the get-go, South Africa’s coach Desiree Ellis preached ambitions far beyond anyone on the outside would have fathomed was possible. From being one of the first players to feature in the first-ever South Africa WNT match to leading her home country into the last 16, Ellis is truly the definition of a pioneer.

Her team competed its hearts out in all three group stage matches behind Racing Louisville star attacker Thembi Kgatlana. Banyana Banyana had a one goal lead against the No. 3 ranked team in the world and were less than 20 minutes away from taking down Argentina by multiple goals. While the African outfit conceded a significant amount, it was clear putting the ball in the back of the net was not a problem. The next opponent for Ellis’ team is the Group E winner, the Netherlands on August 6. Without a doubt, the South Africans will be underdogs, but that has not stopped them at all before so far during this competition.

No. 14: Jamacia

FIFA Ranking: 43

Similar to both Nigeria, and South Africa, Jamacia punched its ticket into the knockout stage without the support of its own federation in the background. In what was a group packed with two top-10 nations in women’s football, the Reggae Girlz pieced together some of the most stunning defensive performances of this competition.

The organization. The grit. The composure. It was all undeniable from a team that was cut back in 2010 by the Jamaica Football Federation due to lack of funding. Now, this small country in Central America has a reason to believe. Even when the odds are against you, all it takes is a team and a well-structured game plan in order to get the job done. Similar to the group stage in 2019, Lorne Donaldson’s side failed to put a single shot into the back of the net. All that did not matter. Superstar forward Khadija Shaw took a beating up front while the backline consistently held its ground with some of the most elusive attackers sprinting in its direction.

No. 13: Colombia

FIFA Ranking: 25

Colombia’s defeat to Morocco in the final match day of Group H ended up not costing it. The German’s inability to get the job done against Colin Bell’s South Korea saw the South American outfit win a group that featured a two-time World Cup winner. It is the second time in the last three World Cups that Colombia has found a way into the Round of 16.

Star youngster Linda Caicedo has been one of the top storylines of the tournament, scoring an absolute screamer against Germany. The 18-year-old leads her team into an intriguing knockout stage matchup against a defensively sound Jamaican side. The South American side has faced off against the Reggae Girlz twice before in the past with the teams winning a game apiece.