Olympics--Olympic Women's Football Power Rankings: Spain Leads Ahead of USA, with Two AFC Teams in Top 5, Defending Champions Only 6th.



With the Olympics set to begin, "GOAL" has analyzed the strength of teams ahead of the women's football competition. Reigning World Cup champions Spain lead the rankings, ahead of the United States. Japan and Australia from the AFC are also in the top 5, while defending Olympic champions Canada are surprisingly ranked sixth.

Spain, crowned as the latest women's World Cup champions, claim the top spot. However, "GOAL" notes they are not infallible, having suffered a devastating 0-4 defeat to Japan last year and a 1-2 loss to Czech Republic in mid-July. Despite the United States' strong performance in the Olympics, their recent showings in both the Olympics and World Cup have been lackluster, leaving them in second place.

France occupies third place, leveraging home advantage as they aim for Olympic gold. Australia and Japan, representing the AFC, are ranked fourth and fifth respectively. Despite missing Kerr, Australia's prospects are still promising, while Japan boasts a 4-0 victory over Spain from last year's World Cup.

Despite Canada's status as reigning Olympic champions, their mediocre performance in last year's World Cup and qualification via playoffs dampen expectations.

Brazil, Germany, Colombia, Nigeria, Zambia, and New Zealand occupy positions 7 to 12. Notably, the decline of traditional powerhouses Brazil and Germany has been surprising to observers.