The Athletic’s latest World Cup power rankings place Spain at No. 1, with the Euro 2024 champions edging France, Argentina and England as the leading contenders for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Spain’s depth of young attacking talent, plus the expected return of Lamine Yamal from fitness concerns, keeps them narrowly ahead. France are second thanks to remarkable forward depth, even if their warm-up loss to Ivory Coast raised a small warning sign. Argentina stay firmly in the top three as reigning world champions under Lionel Scaloni, still built around Lionel Messi. England sit fourth, boosted by strong club form from Harry Kane, Ollie Watkins and a squad so deep that Thomas Tuchel can leave out players such as Phil Foden and Cole Palmer. Germany rise to fifth after a 7-1 win over Curacao, though questions remain about their defending.
Brazil are sixth after a mixed opening, with Carlo Ancelotti still trying to settle the side and key concerns lingering in midfield and at full-back. The Netherlands, Portugal and Morocco complete the next tier of challengers, while Colombia, Croatia and Uruguay remain well placed to go deep if their key players stay fit and in form. Mexico’s opening win, South Korea’s comeback victory and Senegal’s strong recent pedigree keep them inside the top half of the rankings. Egypt and Belgium sit in the middle of the field, with Mohamed Salah’s fitness and form central to Egypt’s hopes and Belgium’s squad held back by doubts over Romelu Lukaku and Kevin De Bruyne.
The biggest movers come lower down the list. The United States climbed after a 4-1 victory over Paraguay, with Folarin Balogun scoring twice and Gio Reyna adding a spectacular goal, while Christian Pulisic’s early withdrawal was described as precautionary. Ivory Coast surged after Amad Diallo’s late winner against Ecuador, putting them close to the knockout stage. Sweden were another major riser after a clinical 5-1 thrashing of Tunisia, with Alexander Isak and Viktor Gyokeres leading the way. Japan also moved up after a strong result against the Netherlands despite injuries to several key players.
Several teams fell after disappointing starts. Ecuador dropped after losing to Ivory Coast despite hitting the woodwork three times. Algeria, Ghana, Austria, Canada and Turkey all slipped, while Switzerland were criticized for failing to beat Qatar despite dominating possession and chances. Tunisia’s heavy defeat, South Africa’s poor start, Paraguay’s struggles against the United States and Iran’s off-field difficulties also damaged their standing.
At the bottom, newer or less proven World Cup teams continue to fight for respect. Curacao earned praise for troubling Germany. Cape Verde, Iraq and Haiti are among the teams hoping to defy expectations, while Uzbekistan, Jordan and DR Congo remain in the hunt for surprise progress. The rankings show a tournament already shaped by early statement wins, late drama and a few major shocks, with Europe’s heavyweights still setting the pace.
