LT01 wrote:coochiee wrote:On my maths, no. You have to go by continent, a lot of the top 32 will be Euro teams that don't qualify.
Unless IO'm missing something, the Football Ferns (FIFA ranked 33rd) will be in Pot 4 most likely I'm guessing??
32 team WC. 4 pools of 8 teams.
In theory you could have the top 24 ranked teams in the world filling pots 1, 2 & 3.
No doubt some UEFA teams ranked higher than the Ferns will miss out. But 9 teams ranked higher than the Ferns, missing out??
So far hosts Brazil, NZ plus AFC teams Australia, China, Japan, North Korea, Philippines and South Korea are all confirmed.
Of those sides only the Philippines (39th) have a lower ranking than the Ferns.
Teams ranked below us/set to pot 4 will be:
Philippines from Asia
3-4 teams from Africa (only Nigeria could rise above us realistically)
3 intercontinental playoff winners (were all set to pot 4 last world cup)
1-2 teams from North America (4 qualify, 1 will be ranked below us, potentially 2 if Mexico bottle again)
All in all that comes to 8-10 teams ranked below us; i.e. we should be in Pot 3.
Okay cheers you have researched it better than me.
But it's gonna be touch & go isn't it. Only 7 teams ranked below us qualify, and into Pot 4 we go.
I'm surprised there are still no African teams ranked higher than the Ferns.
Nigeria (36th) the highest. Our U17 & U20 girls are now consisently getting flogged by CAF teams at their WCs from memory.
Nigeria comfortably beat the Ferns 3-0 in 2023, and in a pre Paris Olympics friendly in 2024 we only drew 1-1 with Zambia (current FIFA ranking 64).
Even if the Ferns do end up in Pot 3 they may find their Pot 4 pool opponent to be very tough to beat. Though luckily I see UEFA only get one team at the 10 team intercontinental playoffs.
https://inside.fifa.com/fifa-world-ranking/women
But it's gonna be touch & go isn't it. Only 7 teams ranked below us qualify, and into Pot 4 we go.
I'm surprised there are still no African teams ranked higher than the Ferns.
Nigeria (36th) the highest. Our U17 & U20 girls are now consisently getting flogged by CAF teams at their WCs from memory.
Nigeria comfortably beat the Ferns 3-0 in 2023, and in a pre Paris Olympics friendly in 2024 we only drew 1-1 with Zambia (current FIFA ranking 64).
Even if the Ferns do end up in Pot 3 they may find their Pot 4 pool opponent to be very tough to beat. Though luckily I see UEFA only get one team at the 10 team intercontinental playoffs.
https://inside.fifa.com/fifa-world-ranking/women