The Bangladesh women’s national football team continue to punch above their weight, consistently outperforming higher-ranked opponents on the international stage.
They defeated hosts Myanmar Wednesday, an opposition ranked 73 places higher in the latest FIFA rankings.
And that was not an isolated surprise - just three days earlier, Bangladesh had thrashed Bahrain 7-0 in their AFC Women’s Asian Cup 2026 Qualifiers opener.
Bahrain are ranked 92nd, while Bangladesh currently sit at 128th.
These stunning results follow a trend of Bangladesh challenging the odds.
Less than a month ago, the team played two FIFA friendlies against Jordan and Indonesia - ranked 75th and 95th respectively - and held both to draws.
Looking back further to October 2024, Bangladesh outclassed India 3-1 during the group stage of the SAFF Women’s Championship, en route to lifting the title.
At that time, India were ranked 68th, while Bangladesh were down at 139th.
In the final, Bangladesh defeated hosts Nepal 2-1, another higher-ranked opponent who sat at 99th.
This pattern extends to 2023 as well.
Bangladesh drew twice in FIFA friendlies and also triumphed in the 2022 SAFF Women’s Championship with an unbeaten run.
They shocked then 58th-ranked India 3-0 in the group stage and overcame 102nd-ranked Nepal 3-1 in the final in September.
Bangladesh had started that tournament ranked 147th, but climbed seven spots following their historic title win.
Earlier still, the team stunned Malaysia - ranked 85th at the time - with a 6-0 win in a FIFA friendly, followed by a goalless draw in the second match.
Bangladesh were ranked 146th then.
The women in red and green have consistently defied expectations, building a formidable reputation by repeatedly outplaying opponents ranked far above them.
Their recent performances signal a strong and steady rise in South Asian and Asian women's football.