FIFA hails Bangladesh women’s football rise

FIFA on Thursday acknowledged Bangladesh’s remarkable progress in women’s football through a series of photo cards shared on their official Facebook page. 

With the caption “Close to 100,” FIFA highlighted Bangladesh’s impressive climb in the FIFA/Coca-Cola Women’s World Ranking, following the team’s historic qualification for AFC Women’s Asian Cup.

Over the past few years, Bangladesh’s women’s football has steadily improved, showing consistent success from youth levels up to the national team. 

For the first time in history, the Bangladesh women’s team has qualified for AFC Women’s Asian Cup, a major milestone that brings them closer to competing in FIFA Women’s World Cup.

FIFA’s post featured six photo cards detailing the team’s rapid rise. 

The first card displayed Bangladesh’s ranking graph and noted that the team is the fastest rising nation in FIFA women’s rankings. 

The second card revealed that Bangladesh moved from 142nd place in August 2023 to 104th following their 2026 AFC Women’s Asian Cup qualification.

Highlighting Bangladesh’s breakthrough, the third card pointed out that the team had never won a match in the AFC Women’s Asian Cup qualifiers before but remained undefeated in 2025 qualifiers, making history. If Bangladesh finishes among the top six teams in the upcoming tournament, they could secure their first-ever berth at FIFA Women’s World Cup.

FIFA credited this rapid progress to Bangladesh’s inaugural women’s football strategic plan, “Empower Her: 2024-2027,” along with continuous support from FIFA’s development programs. 

The post also celebrated Bangladesh’s consecutive victories in South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) Women’s Championship, which have bolstered the team’s confidence and readiness, with the tournament benefiting from FIFA Forward Program funding.

Finally, FIFA shared remarks from Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) President Tabith Awal, who emphasized that FIFA’s special focus on women’s football has created widespread awareness and increased fan engagement in Bangladesh.

FIFA’s recognition is expected to inspire Bangladesh women’s football team and its supporters to aim for even greater achievements on the international stage.