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

WorldCup.NYC Editorial — June 29, 2026

1. 🇦🇷 Argentina

Argentina entered the tournament ranked No. 1 by FIFA and nothing in the group stage or the Round of 32 so far has dented that. Messi is fit, the spine of the team (Di María, Mac Allister, Martínez) is functioning, and they have a kind-looking R32 draw against Cape Verde. Still the team to beat.

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.

3. 🇪🇸 Spain

Entered the tournament ranked No. 2 in the world. Spain were the classiest side in Group H, dropping points only to Cape Verde's stubborn defending. Yamal and Pedri give them a ceiling few teams can match. Their next test, Austria, shouldn't trouble them.

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.

7. 🇵🇹 Portugal

Ronaldo's sixth World Cup continues. Portugal have shown moments of real quality but also inconsistency (the 0-0 draw with Colombia). Croatia awaits in the Round of 32 — a genuine 50/50 between two veteran-led sides.

8. 🇺🇸 USA

Perfect group stage as co-hosts, 9 points, home support at every match. Pulisic, Weah, and McKennie give them a dynamic attack. Bosnia in the R32 should be manageable, but the real test comes in the R16 against the winner of Spain or Austria.

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.

10. 🇩🇿 Algeria / 🇨🇭 Switzerland

Both still alive, both unspectacular, both capable of a shock given what's already happened this week.

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.