Power Rankings After the Upsets — Is France Still No. 1?

WorldCup.NYC Editorial — June 29, 2026

1. 🇦🇷 Argentina — In the Semifinal

Argentina have been the tournament's most consistent side — Messi leads the Golden Boot, they've navigated every obstacle. Beat Cape Verde 3-2, then Egypt 3-2 in the QF with Messi scoring twice. SF vs Switzerland or Colombia on Sat Jul 11 at 9pm ET. The team everyone expects to reach the Final.

2. 🇫🇷 France

France were the most dominant side of the group stage and have continued that dominance into the knockout rounds — 3-0 vs Sweden at MetLife on June 30, 25 shots, 13 on target. Mbappé, Dembélé, and Barcola are all firing. Their R16 opponent is the winner of Mexico vs Ecuador in Vancouver, July 5. With Germany out, France have a significantly easier projected path to the semifinal.

2. 🇪🇸 Spain — Semifinal vs Belgium

Spain beat Austria 3-0, Portugal 1-0 in the QF. Now face Belgium in the SF Fri Jul 10. Lamine Yamal and Pedri are the best midfield partnership left in the tournament. Spain are now into the semifinal and many consider them the outright favorite. Their semifinal opponent TBD — winner of USA/Belgium or Argentina/Egypt.

4. 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 England

Comfortable group stage winners and now through the Round of 32 after a 2-1 win over DR Congo. Bellingham in form. England face Paraguay in Mexico City on July 4 — their biggest test yet against one of the tournament's most disciplined defensive sides.

❌ 🇧🇷 Brazil — ELIMINATED

Brazil are out. Erling Haaland scored twice to send Norway through 2-1 at MetLife Stadium in New York — the most stunning result of the entire tournament so far. Vinicius Jr. and Brazil's star-studded squad produced a disappointing campaign when it mattered most. Their World Cup ends in the Round of 16.

🔥 5. 🇳🇴 Norway — The Team of the Tournament

Norway have beaten Ivory Coast, then Brazil at MetLife. Haaland has scored in every knockout match. They are now dark-horse quarterfinal favorites and the most in-form team remaining. Bounou-esque defensive structure, Haaland as the difference-maker. The whole world is watching.

6. 🇲🇦 Morocco

Morocco's penalty shootout win over the Netherlands is exactly the kind of knockout-stage resilience that took them to the 2022 semifinal. Bounou in goal, Hakimi at the back, a squad that defends as a unit and absorbs pressure better than almost anyone left in the draw. Their next test is Canada in Houston — a winnable, must-not-overlook fixture. Morocco are the form team of the tournament right now.

❌ 🇵🇹 Portugal — ELIMINATED

Ronaldo's sixth World Cup ends in the quarterfinals — Spain's 1-0 win ended Portugal's campaign. A tournament of moments: Ronaldo's goal vs Croatia in the R32, Ramos's winner vs Croatia, but ultimately Spain's quality told in the quarterfinal. The curtain falls on one of the great international careers.

❌ 🇺🇸 USA — ELIMINATED

Belgium 4-1 USA in the quarterfinals. The co-hosts exit at the QF stage — their best World Cup result as hosts — but it ends in a chastening defeat. Belgium were dominant. USA gave everything as hosts. The dream of a home World Cup win ends here.

9. 🇵🇾 Paraguay — NEW ENTRY

This is the headline of the entire tournament so far. Paraguay entered ranked 41st in the world and just eliminated four-time champions Germany on penalties. Their defensive structure — an 11-man deep block that absorbed everything Germany threw at it for 120 minutes — is the most disciplined defensive performance anyone has produced at this World Cup. If they can replicate that against France or Sweden in the Round of 16, nobody can rule anything out.

8. 🇨🇭 Switzerland — In the Semifinal

Switzerland have been the tournament's dark horses. Beat Algeria 2-0 in R32, beat Colombia 4-3 on penalties in the QF. Now they face Argentina — Messi and co. — in the semifinal on Saturday July 11 at 9pm ET. Nobody expected this. Granit Xhaka leads a team that refuses to be intimidated.

Eliminated — Notable Drops

🇩🇪 Germany — out in the Round of 32 for the first time in the 48-team era, their third straight disappointing World Cup after 2018 and 2022 group-stage exits. 🇳🇱 Netherlands — eliminated on penalties despite leading for most of normal time against Morocco.