Finland Leapfrogs Portugal in Women’s FIFA Rankings Shake-Up

Fans who woke up expecting good news about Portugal’s women’s side were met with a sobering update instead: the Seleção has slipped to 23rd in the latest FIFA ranking, its place now occupied by Finland, newly installed at 22nd after a punchy European Championship run in Switzerland. Spain dethroned the United States at the very top, while a resurgent Sweden edged into third. For foreigners living in Portugal—many of whom discovered women’s football through last year’s World Cup party—this reshuffle raises fresh questions about the direction of the domestic game and the national project.

What changed in the latest ranking?

The August list, calculated by FIFA’s Elo-style formula, captured three trends at once: Portugal’s points loss, Finland’s modest but well-timed gain, and a continental power shift toward Europe. The Portuguese side bled ranking credit because two group-stage defeats and a solitary draw in Switzerland carry heavy weight in the algorithm, especially when those matches occur at a UEFA tournament classed as “high importance.” Finland, by contrast, banked a tidy package of points from a win over Austria, a draw with Denmark, and a narrow loss to Germany—results that allowed the Nordic team to leapfrog its Iberian rival by a single but painful slot.

The Swiss summer that hurt Portugal

Portugal’s campaign in St. Gallen and Basel felt off-tempo from the opening whistle. A 0-5 collapse to Spain was followed by a respectable yet frustrating 1-1 stalemate with Italy, then a late 1-2 setback against Belgium that iced any hope of reaching the quarter-finals. Because the ranking model rewards goal difference and penalizes clean-sheet losses extra hard, the thrashing by Spain did outsized damage. Coach Francisco Neto conceded afterwards that “the little details punished us,” a remark that can be read in the cold arithmetic of Elo: bigger margins, bigger drops.

Why Finland is climbing faster

Finland’s surge is less about dazzling statistics and more about capitalising on timing. Beating a side ranked above you, even once, produces a jump magnified when the match is in an elite competition. Add in Finland’s reputation for tactical discipline and the fact that the Helmarit have integrated several dual-national players from Swedish and US college systems, and the formula delivers a tidy bump. For Portugal, the lesson is clear: consistent, medium-sized wins matter more than sporadic big nights, because FIFA’s points calculator tracks every minute of every match.

Big picture: Europe flexes its depth

Spain, still buzzing after last year’s World Cup triumph, has finally replaced the long-dominant United States atop the standings. Sweden’s bronze, England’s fourth place, and small surges by France and Germany confirm that Europe accounts for six of the global top eight. Brazil’s slide to eighth—despite a Copa América title—underscores how continental strength of schedule shapes the ranking curve. In effect, the women’s game now mirrors the men’s: depth in European club leagues fuels national-team momentum.

Money on the table: FPF’s €22 M rescue plan

The Portuguese Football Federation believes the slide can be stopped—and reversed—through what it calls the largest single-season investment in women’s football in its history. A €22 M package for 2025-2026 earmarks €9.27 M for domestic competitions, €11.2 M for national sides, and €1.5 M for refereeing. Federation president Pedro Proença argues that fresh cash, combined with ongoing professionalisation of the Liga BPI, will “accelerate the talent pipeline” and bring Portugal back toward the top 20 by next summer. The full plan is posted in Portuguese on the federation’s website, but an English digest is available here.

What this means for expats who follow the Seleção

For residents who adopted Portugal as home—and its national teams as weekend entertainment—the new ranking shifts expectations. Qualifiers against Wales in September and Norway in October suddenly look less like tune-ups and more like must-wins. Lower ranking also affects World Cup seeding, meaning pricier or more complicated travel for fans hoping to catch early-round games abroad. On the upside, television rights remain attractive; Sport TV and RTP have kept English commentary feeds, and tickets for home fixtures around the country still start at under €10, a bargain compared with Premier League prices back home for many British or American expats.

Looking ahead: fixtures that can reverse the slide

The calendar offers lifelines. Two Nations League matches and a late-year friendly window—rumoured to include Chile and South Africa—give Portugal up to five ranking-eligible games before the next FIFA update in December. Victories against similarly ranked opponents can restore confidence and points in equal measure. The math is unforgiving but simple: win by more than one goal, score even in defeat, and treat every international break like a final. Foreign supporters who have enjoyed Portugal’s flair in the past may yet get a chance to celebrate a turnaround sooner than expected.