By Ian Chadband in London

The Matildas’ alarming slump in international women’s soccer has been highlighted by a relegation to their equal worst position in the history of the FIFA world rankings.

The Australia women’s team, whose three-defeat program in the recent SheBelieves Cup in the US followed their dismal Olympic campaign in 2024, were down another place to No.16 when the latest rankings were revealed on Thursday.

That’s their joint-worst spot in the rankings since they were introduced in 2003, equalling the same position they last held two decades ago in 2005.

It also demonstrates the team’s fall-off since their exhilarating run to the World Cup semi-finals on home soil in 2023. They were still in their familiar top-10 position this time two years ago.

But the defeats to Japan, United States and Colombia in the SheBelieves Cup felt like a new low for the team who are still seeking a new full-time manager to replace Tony Gustavsson, who departed after the Olympic flop in France.

Tom Sermanni, the 70-year-old Scot, has been in charge as a capable interim boss but he’s only holding the fort while Football Australia seek the coach to take the Matildas into a new era.

But with only three wins and seven losses from their last dozen matches, the Matildas are showing no signs of emerging from a slump which hasn’t been helped by the long-term absence through injury of their one world-beating asset, striker Sam Kerr.

In the SheBelieves Cup, they only had two shots on target in three whole matches, a blunt edge up front which was only matched by some of the sloppiness at the back. With the Asian Cup on home soil just a year away, it was a deflating trip.

The latest rankings have Olympic champions USA retaining their No.1 spot with Japan, who outclassed the Matildas 4-0 before also beating the Americans in the SheBelieves Cup final, back into the top five.

The US remain top ahead of world champions Spain, Germany, Spain, Japan, Sweden, Canada, Brazil, North Korea and the Netherlands in the top-10 in the first 2025 list.

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