The U.S. women’s soccer team returned to the top of the FIFA world rankings Friday after winning gold last weekend at the Paris Olympics. Mallory Swanson’s goal helped secure the team its fifth Olympic gold medal — and the first since the 2012 London Games — by beating Brazil 1-0 in the final Saturday.
Quick Read
- USWNT reclaims top FIFA ranking after Olympic gold: The U.S. women’s soccer team returned to the top of the FIFA world rankings after winning the gold medal at the Paris Olympics, marking their first time at the top spot in 12 months.
- Olympic victory boosts USWNT: A 1-0 victory over Brazil in the final, secured by Mallory Swanson’s goal, helped the U.S. team earn its fifth Olympic gold and regain its position as the world’s top-ranked team.
- England and Brazil climb in rankings: England moved up to second place, while Brazil climbed to eighth.
- France drops in rankings: France experienced the most significant drop, falling from second to tenth after a disappointing group stage and quarterfinal exit at the Olympics.
The Associated Press has the story:
USWNT follows Olympic gold by reclaiming top spot in rankings after 12-month absence
Newslooks- ZURICH (AP) —
The U.S. women’s soccer team returned to the top of the FIFA world rankings Friday after winning gold last weekend at the Paris Olympics. Mallory Swanson’s goal helped secure the team its fifth Olympic gold medal — and the first since the 2012 London Games — by beating Brazil 1-0 in the final Saturday.
That lifted the Americans up from fifth and ended a 12-month absence from the top of the standings. England moved up to second, ahead of Spain, Germany, Sweden and Canada.
Brazil climbed one spot to eighth. The worst slide belonged to France, which dropped from second to 10th. The host nation had a poor performance in the group stage and was then eliminated by Brazil in the quarterfinals. It is the team’s lowest position in nearly five years.
