1) Germany
Europe’s most successful team made light work of Australia and Norway and with six different goal scorers across the two games their threat is evident. They will have a point to prove next summer with the reigning Olympic champions having failed to qualify for this summer’s Games because they did not get beyond the quarter-final stage of the 2019 World Cup. However, conceding goals against top-10 teams (and the 11th in the case of Norway) – two to Australia, one against Norway and twice in a defeat against the Netherlands in February – will be a concern.
2) Netherlands
The Dutch have dropped below Germany in the race for the European title they hold only because of their surprise 1-0 defeat against Spain. The loss may perhaps says more about the progress of Spain as the Netherlands, finalists at the 2019 World Cup, dismantled Australia 5-0. There were five different players on the scoresheet and none of them was the record goalscorer Vivianne Miedema.
3) Sweden
An 87th-minute penalty for Megan Rapinoe denied the Swedes a win against the world champions USA, which would have been a first defeat in 22 games for them. Third at the World Cup in France and runners-up at the Brazil Olympics, in their next game, against Poland, a rejigged lineup was made to work hard. Sweden came from behind to win 4-2 and conceding twice after goals from the impressive Wolfsburg forward Ewa Pajor is not something about which to be too embarrassed.
4) France
Hampered by the overwhelming majority of players from the European champions Lyon having to isolate, the stand-ins stepped up and showed their value to the team. A 3-1 defeat of England may have been followed by a 2-0 loss against USA but this was a good opportunity for the under-fire manager Corinne Diacre to see the non-Lyon players tested against the best.
5) Spain
Their World Cup performances showed the growth the football in the country and the narrow defeat against USA in the last 16 was one of the best games of the tournament. The fluidity of Barcelona’s play as they eliminated Manchester City from the Champions League is reflected in the performances of the national team. Their defeat and clean sheet against a potent Netherlands side also showcased the solid defensive base that Jorge Vilda has built.
6) England
A thoroughly disappointing window for the hosts of next summer’s Euros. The 3-1 defeat against a patchwork France side and calamitous goals conceded in a 2-0 defeat by Canada despite a squad dripping with quality highlights the scale of the job that the Netherlands manager, Sarina Wiegman, has when she joins after the Olympics. England’s record against the world’s top sides has been poor and the performances against lower-ranked sides have also been worrying.
7) Norway
There were positives to take from the 3-1 defeat against Germany. Chelsea’s Guro Reiten gave them the lead in the fourth minute for example, but the Norwegians need to add clean sheets in their games against teams ranked in the top 10 in the world in order to step up into that pack. The comfortable 2-0 defeat of Belgium once again showed they can do that against the rest.
8) Denmark
A goal from the European player of the year Pernille Harder to draw her level with the record goalscorer Merete Pedersen was not enough to give the Danes a win against Wales, ranked 17 places below them, after Jess Fishlock finished off a wonderful team goal to level the scores. Runners-up at the 2017 Euros, Denmark could be a dark horse next year after missing the World Cup (in part because of forfeiting a qualifier against Sweden in a pay dispute with the Danish FA).
9) Italy
Many neutrals were endeared by the battling and incisive performances of the Italians at the World Cup. A solid Euro qualifying campaign in which they qualified as a best group runner-up continues their growth. A narrow win and a draw in a pair of friendlies against Iceland is a warning that Milene Bertolini’s side cannot grow complacent.
10) Belgium
Having qualified top of their group, Belgium have performed confidently against Europe’s minnows and some middling sides. A heavy defeat against the Netherlands and 2-0 defeat by Germany in February showed they are not ready to compete with the best yet. The failed to score against Norway in this window and a 14th-minute goal from Tine de Caigny (the top scorer in Euro qualifying with 12 goals) was all that could separate them from the Republic of Ireland.
11) Switzerland
After two gritty score draws the Swiss overcame the Czech Republic on penalties to make the Euros. After missing their first two penalties in the shootout their chances looked bleak but goals from Everton’s Alisha Lehmann, Arsenal’s Lia Walti and Barcelona’s Ana-Maria Crnogorcevic dragged them over the line against a team ranked seven places below them in the world.
12) Iceland
Struggled in their friendly double-header with Italy but the margins were narrow. They can take plenty of heart from the 1-1 draw and 1-0 defeat.
13) Russia
A first-leg away win in their Euro qualifying play-off against Portugal and a 0-0 home draw ensured the Russians qualified at the expense of their opponents. The manner of the progression matched their 2009 qualifying campaign when they also made the most of a first-leg away win against Scotland.
14) Northern Ireland
It is perhaps a little generous to lift them off the bottom of these rankings but the manner of their 4-1 aggregate defeat of Ukraine, a team ranked 25 places above them, means it has been well earned. Northern Ireland are the only home nation to qualify alongside the hosts England for the Euros and it will be their first senior tournament finals. Driven through qualifying by the influential Liverpool forward Rachel Furness, the team were without their talisman for the second leg against Ukraine but still came away with a 2-0 win.
15) Finland
Topping qualifying group E ahead of Portugal and Scotland, a fluke goal, deflected off the face Amanda Rantanen in the 95th minute, killed Scotland’s hopes of qualification in December. They confirmed top spot with a defeat of Portugal. The team’s 2-2 draw with Austria in this window – both goals scored by the midfielder Eveliina Summanen – showed further signs of progress.
16) Austria
They have struggled to find any consistency and have not earned back-to-back wins since November 2019. The Austrians finished, respectably, behind France in qualifying group G, but a 2-2 draw with Finland on Sunday shows there is still much room for improvement.
• A picture caption in this article was amended on 15 April 2021 to correctly credit Will Palmer for the photograph of Leah Williamson.
