The U.S. women’s national team retained its world No. 1 ranking Thursday despite back-to-back losses against England and Spain.

These rankings will determine the seedings heading into the draw for next year’s World Cup, which will take place on Oct. 22. As a result, the USWNT retains the top seed for the World Cup.

🆕 The latest FIFA/Coca-Cola Women’s World Ranking is out!
🇺🇸 USA still out in front
🏆 October rankings will decide seedings for the Final Draw for the #FIFAWWC
📈 Gains for Spain, Portugal, Estonia and Bangladesh
👉 https://t.co/yQ9jjAIg4T pic.twitter.com/Eb0KT5A8gn

— FIFA.com (@FIFAcom) October 13, 2022

Sweden, meanwhile, jumped up one spot to No. 2, while Germany fell one to No. 3. Despite their win over the USWNT, England remained in fourth place, and France remains in fifth.

Spain made the biggest leap inside of the top 10, climbing two spots to sixth following their 2-0 win over the USWNT. They are now one of six seeded teams, which should prove favorable for their World Cup draw.

It also means that the U.S. will not draw Sweden, Germany, England, France or Spain in the group stage. However, the USWNT could see Canada, the Netherlands or Brazil.

The USWNT and Sweden have been in the same group for the past five World Cups, but that streak will end in 2023.

The Netherlands fell two spots in the rankings to eighth, while No. 7 Canada, No. 9 Brazil and No. 10 North Korea all maintained their positioning.

Portugal was the highest climber in the top 50, rising four places to No. 23 fresh off qualifying for the intercontinental playoffs for next year’s World Cup.

Star striker Temwa Chawinga is nearing yet another trophy, as the 2024 NWSL MVP and Golden Boot winner lifted her No. 1 Kansas City Current over No. 4 Gotham FC with her 15th goal of the season on Saturday — taking the lead in the 2025 scoring race.

Chawinga's 51st-minute tally secured the 2-0 victory, as the 2025 Shield-winners became the first-ever NWSL team to reach 20 wins in a single season — and the first to ever snag more than 60 points in a single campaign.

The Malawian international is now just the second player in league history to score at least 15 goals across multiple seasons, joining former NWSL star Sam Kerr's 2017, 2018, and 2019 runs for Sky Blue and Chicago.

With two regular-season matchdays left, the 2025 NWSL Golden Boot race is down to Chawinga and Gotham FC attacker Esther, with the Spain star chasing the Kansas City standout with 13 goals of her own.

Besides the two-goal advantage, Chawinga also currently holds the edge in momentum, with the Current striker scoring in her last four NWSL matches while Esther has been silent on goal since September 13th.

Trailing Chawinga and Esther in this year's Golden Boot race with a still-impressive 10 goals apiece are No. 8 Racing Louisville's Emma Sears and No. 14 Chicago Stars' Ludmila.

The Las Vegas Aces won the 2025 WNBA Championship in Friday's Game 4, sweeping the Phoenix Mercury to put a bow on the league's longest-ever season — while also starting the clock on its next CBA.

"We have great players," Aces guard Chelsea Gray told reporters, stressing the importance of the upcoming deal after helping secure Las Vegas's third title in four years. "You need to treat them like that."

Like many teams across the league, the Aces have just one player under contract for 2026 — rookie Aaliyah Nye — after a rash of now-free agents opted to sign one-year contracts in anticipation of salary shifts in the upcoming CBA.

With the October 31st deadline looming, negotiations are likely to extend past that mark amid mounting tensions between players and WNBA commissioner Cathy Englebert in recent weeks.

"I think they'll work it out somehow, I hope — I haven't been consulted," said Aces owner Mark Davis.

Davis also joked about making Becky Hammon the best-paid head coach in the WNBA, with the Las Vegas manager currently pulling in $1 million annually — four times the single-year supermax player contract under the league's current CBA.

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Salary structure a tipping point in WNBA CBA negotiations

As for the players union, the WNBPA says they're aiming to expand revenue sharing, while the league is reportedly looking to keep salary structures mostly intact.

"It's basically the same system that we exist in right now," WNBPA president Nneka Ogwumike told ESPN in August. "When you approach it from the perspective of their response to our proposal, yes, money is more, but ultimately if you look at the growth of the business, the money relative to the percentage of everything is virtually staying the same."

According to Front Office Sports, the most recent WNBA offer included an $850,000 supermax contract plus a veteran minimum near $300,000.

The WNBA will likely have until the end of 2025 to strike a deal, but with little common ground emerging thus far, the potential for a work stoppage looms large.

Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese is staying busy, announcing yet another high-profile partnership as she gears up to become the first-ever professional athlete to walk in the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show next week.

The WNBA star will take to the lingerie company's catwalk in New York on Tuesday, October 15th.

"Stepping into a dream: From Angel to a Victoria Secret ANGEL," Reese posted to Instagram on Thursday. "I'm finally getting my wings — I'll be walking the Victoria's Secret 2025 runway show for the first time, and it feels like destiny. Wings on, heels ready."

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Hitting the runway is just the latest entry on Reese's growing resume, with the 23-year-old most recently stepping in as the new face of Juicy Couture and launching a signature shoe with Reebok while becoming the cover star of the WNBA edition of NBA 2K26.

Even more, she'll soon make her feature film debut, playing herself in a cameo in the upcoming political thriller A House of Dynamite, which drops on Netflix on October 24th.

But first, Reese will make Victoria's Secret Fashion Show history.

"Angel Reese, welcome to the runway," Victoria's Secret wrote in a promotional post on Thursday. "The first professional athlete angel... major is an understatement."

How to watch Angel Reese in the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show

The 2025 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show will air live on at 7 PM ET on Tuesday, October 15th on Prime.

Two of women's soccer's biggest stars are teaming up, with retired USWNT icons Alex Morgan and Mia Hamm joining forces to launch The Goal Cup, a new celebrity charity soccer match benefitting both the Alex Morgan Foundation and the Mia Hamm Foundation.

Billed as "two star-studded teams...coming together to benefit [the two] foundations through a day of competition, entertainment, and community impact," The Goal Cup will see Hamm and Morgan captain the rival squads in an "LA vs. San Diego" showdown at USC Rawlinson Stadium in Los Angeles on January 17th, 2026.

The charity match will boost both Morgan's and Hamm's foundations — nonprofits that work to increase opportunities and access for women and girls in sports, among other core tenets.

"The Goal Cup is about celebrating the game we love while creating real impact for girls and women," Morgan said in a statement. "I'm proud to team up with Mia, to launch the SoCal rivalry, and ensure soccer continues to be a force for good beyond the field."

How to attend Hamm and Morgan's The Goal Cup

Pre-sale access to the January 17th charity match opens at 1 PM ET on Tuesday before tickets become available to the general public on Wednesday.

Fans can sign up for early access and pricing at The Goal Cup.