World Cup 2026 Power Rankings before round of 16: Who's No. 1?
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- France earned 18 of 20 first-place votes to claim the No. 1 ranking, with Kylian Mbappé's brace against Sweden pushing him to 6 tournament goals and setting up a Saturday round-of-16 clash with Paraguay in Philadelphia.
- Spain rose to No. 2 without conceding a goal all tournament after a 3-0 dismantling of Austria in the round of 32, and now faces a heavyweight Monday meeting with Portugal in Dallas.
- Argentina slipped to No. 3 after needing Diney Borges' 111th-minute own goal to escape Cape Verde 3-2 in extra time, with Lionel Messi's tournament-leading 7 goals keeping the defending champions alive ahead of Tuesday's meeting with Egypt in Atlanta.
- Brazil climbed to No. 4 after rallying from 1-0 down to beat Japan 2-1, with the Vinícius Júnior-led attack now tasked with containing Norway's Erling Haaland (5 goals) on Sunday in New York/New Jersey.
- England dropped to No. 5 despite Harry Kane's two goals overturning a 1-0 deficit against Congo DR, with the panel citing weak wing play, slow midfield tempo, and the altitude challenge awaiting them at the Azteca against Mexico on Sunday.
- Morocco surged two spots to No. 6 after eliminating the Netherlands on penalties thanks to a 90th-minute equalizer, setting up a Saturday round-of-16 clash with co-host Canada in Houston.
- Portugal jumped three places to No. 7 as voters grew weary of the Ronaldo-centric style, with Gonçalo Ramos' 94th-minute winner against Croatia highlighting the case for using the 41-year-old as a supporting cast member against Spain.
Why it matters: The 20-reporter panel's near-unanimous endorsement of France — 18 of 20 first-place votes — marks Les Bleus as the clear favorite heading into the round of 16, but with all three co-hosts (U.S., Mexico, Canada) still alive and underdogs like Morocco and Portugal showing clear tactical flaws despite winning, the bracket leaves real room for the kind of upsets that already dumped Germany out via Paraguay's penalties.
