Nigeria’s Rising Power in Women’s Football Reflected in Global Top 100 List

Nigeria’s Rising Power in Women’s Football Reflected in Global Top 100 List

By Our Reporter 

Four players from Nigeria’s women’s national football team, the Super Falcons, have been named in The Guardian’s prestigious annual list of the world’s top 100 female footballers for 2025, underscoring the country’s growing influence on the global stage, BSNSports.com.ng reports.

Goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie and forward Rasheedat Ajibade headline the Nigerian selections. Nnadozie, making a return to the rankings, was placed 65th following an exceptional season with Paris FC, during which she recorded 11 clean sheets. Her standout performances earned her a move to Brighton & Hove Albion in the Women’s Super League, cementing her status as one of the game’s premier goalkeepers.

Two other Super Falcons stars Gift Monday and Esther Okoronkwo made their debut appearances on the list, reflecting Nigeria’s deepening pool of elite women’s football talent.

The rankings, compiled by a global panel of players, coaches, and journalists, extend a remarkable run for Nigeria, which has had at least one representative in every edition of the list since 2017.

In a related development, the Swiss-based CIES Football Observatory earlier in 2025 recognized four Nigerian men’s internationals Alex Iwobi, Calvin Bassey, Victor Osimhen, and Victor Boniface among the top 300 most influential footballers of the 2024/25 season. The ranking was based on their statistical impact and performances for their respective clubs.