Jamaican Reggae Girlz finish 2023 as highest-ranked CFU team in FIFA Rankings
Key Points(4)
- They advanced to the second round but were eliminated after a 1-0 defeat to Colombia.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Unfortunately, the Reggae Girlz did not secure qualification for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, France.
- Reigning champions Canada defeated them 4-1 on aggregate during CONCACAF qualification in September.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>In the last quarter of the year, the team faced challenges related to an alleged dispute with the Jamaica Football Federation.
- Kitts & Nevis, down seven spots at 138th (18th in CONCACAF); and Bermuda, up three spots at 143rd (19th in CONCACAF).
- Lucia dropped five places to 155th in the world and sits at the bottom of the CONCACAF top 20 list.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Reggae Boyz, the Jamaican men's national football team, were also ranked as the top CFU team for 2023.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->
The Jamaican women's national football team, known as the Reggae Girlz, has concluded the year as the highest-ranked team from the Caribbean Football Union (CFU) in the FIFA World Rankings.
Despite dropping three places, the Reggae Girlz are ranked 40th in the latest world rankings, positioning them as the fourth-highest-ranked team in the Confederation of North, Central America, and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) and one of five CFU teams within the top 100 globally.
Their notable achievements in 2023 included a third-place finish in the CONCACAF Women's Championship, where they secured a 1-0 victory over Costa Rica in July. However, the pinnacle of their year was earning a spot in the FIFA Women's World Cup, which took place from July 20 to August 20 in Australia and New Zealand.
Morale-boosting draws against France and Brazil
During the World Cup, the Jamaican team achieved morale-boosting draws against France and Brazil and recorded a 1-0 victory against fellow CONCACAF side Panama in the group stage. They advanced to the second round but were eliminated after a 1-0 defeat to Colombia.
Unfortunately, the Reggae Girlz did not secure qualification for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, France. Reigning champions Canada defeated them 4-1 on aggregate during CONCACAF qualification in September.
In the last quarter of the year, the team faced challenges related to an alleged dispute with the Jamaica Football Federation. As a result, a depleted squad participated in the Pan Am Games, but they were unable to secure a spot in the CONCACAF Women's Gold Cup.
The CFU's top 10
The rankings of other CFU teams were influenced by their participation in various qualification tournaments within the confederation, either positively or negatively. Among the CFU teams within the FIFA top 100 are Haiti, up one place and ranked 51st (sixth in CONCACAF); Trinidad & Tobago, down three spots at 78th (eighth in CONCACAF); Guyana, down two places at 87th (10th in CONACACAF); and Cuba, up six spots at 89th (11th in CONCACAF).
The CFU's top 10 in the world rankings also includes Puerto Rico, unchanged at 103rd (12th in CONCACAF); the Dominican Republic, down one spot at 107th (14th in CONCACAF); Suriname, unchanged at 132nd (17th in CONCACAF); St. Kitts & Nevis, down seven spots at 138th (18th in CONCACAF); and Bermuda, up three spots at 143rd (19th in CONCACAF). St. Lucia dropped five places to 155th in the world and sits at the bottom of the CONCACAF top 20 list.
The Reggae Boyz, the Jamaican men's national football team, were also ranked as the top CFU team for 2023.
