New update to the 2026 World Cup rankings places France at the top of the list
The first days of the 2026 World Cup featured intense clashes, high-level individual performances and unexpected stumbles from traditional teams. Established figures in global football, such as Lionel Messi, Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappé, took responsibility and recorded important milestones in the opening round of the competition.
The Argentine star reached the top of the men’s tournament’s historic artillery chart, while the French striker isolated himself as his country’s top scorer. At the same time, zebras roamed the pitches: Australia beat Turkey, Scotland once again won a World Cup game after a drought that had lasted since 1990, beating Haiti, and the debuting team from Cape Verde held on to a goalless draw against Spain, which was leading the global rankings.
With so many twists and turns early on, the scenario raises doubts about who really has the strength to lift the cup and which teams are on the outside as potential surprises. To map this new hierarchy, a detailed survey brought together the opinions of twenty sports press professionals from different countries.
The journalists consulted organized a list of the fifteen strongest teams at the moment, ranging from the main candidate for the title in first place to riskier bets at the bottom of the table. Data collection took place before the games held on Thursday, indicating that the next clashes will bring new changes to this classification.
A graphic created by the ESPN team illustrates how favoritism changed hands after the final whistle of the first matches of the tournament.
Dominant performance on debut lifts French to first place
- FIFA position (June 11): 3
- Group I calendar: victory over Senegal 2-0; duel with Iraq (June 22, Philadelphia); clash with Norway (June 26, Boston)
Since monitoring began in March, this is the first time that the top of the table has changed hands. The squad led by Didier Deschamps played solid football and took the top spot, something that seemed distant weeks before the tournament started.
The safe 3-1 victory over the Senegalese in the opening round of Group I convinced the experts. The European team received thirteen direct nominations for first place, a significant jump compared to the six votes won in the previous survey.
Kylian Mbappé demonstrated enormous offensive appetite, finding the net twice in the second half, including a precise long-range shot in the final minutes, consolidating himself at the top of his country’s historic artillery. The volume of the game resulted in eight shots towards the goal, against just one shot from Senegal, which scored with Ibrahim Mbaye. Michael Olise, an athlete from Bayern Munich, provided an assist and created four clear opportunities. The defensive system also worked, allowing an expected goals ratio (xG) of just 0.10 to the opponent. In search of their third title after the 1998 and 2018 cups, the French will have a greater challenge against Erling Haaland’s Norway, a match that should define the leader of the group.
Below, the complete list of the fifteen best-rated teams after the first games:
- 1. France (gained 1 position) – 14 nominations for the top
- 2. England (gained 2 positions) – 3 nominations for the top
- 3. Argentina (maintained position) – 2 nominations for the top
- 4. Spain (lost 3 positions) – 2 nominations for the top
- 5. Germany (gained 2 positions)
- 6. Brazil (lost 1 position)
- 7. Morocco (gained 2 positions)
- 8. Holland (maintained position)
- 9. USA (newcomer to the list)
- 10. Portugal (lost 4 positions)
- 11. Norway (lost 1 position)
- 12. Colombia (gained 1 position)
- 13. Japan (lost 1 position)
- 14. Belgium (lost 3 positions)
- 15. Mexico (newcomer to the list)
Solid victory on American soil boosts the English team in the table
- FIFA position (June 11): 4
- Group L calendar: victory over Croatia 4-2; duel with Ghana (June 23, Boston); clash with Panama (June 27, New York/New Jersey)
The squad led by Thomas Tuchel gained momentum among voters after overcoming Croatia with authority in the first game. The result yielded three first-place votes for the English, who had not received any such nomination in the days leading up to the competition. This is the biggest jump recorded at the top of the classification.
The coach’s tactical decisions, which barred athletes like Trent Alexander-Arnold and Phil Foden to promote the entry of Marcus Rashford and Jordan Henderson, had an immediate effect on the pitch in Dallas. Harry Kane scored two goals, Jude Bellingham scored just after half-time, and Rashford closed the score with a captivating collective play.
The defensive system presented flaws that allowed the Croatians to seek a draw on two occasions in the first stage, most notably the goal scored by Martin Baturina. However, the aggressive and attack-focused stance pleased analysts. The road to the title is long, but the initial performance dispels suspicions about the team’s potential.
Decisive talent of the number ten guarantees the stability of the South Americans
- FIFA position (June 11): 1st
- Group J calendar: victory over Algeria 3-0; duel with Austria (June 22, Dallas); clash with Jordan (June 27, Dallas)
The success of the Argentine team continues to depend directly on Lionel Messi’s physical and technical form. The strategy worked perfectly on his debut, when the captain scored the three winning goals over Algeria. The feat represented the player’s first hat-trick in the World Cup and placed him alongside Miroslav Klose at the top of the tournament’s all-time scoring charts, with 16 goals. A relevant fact is that the German needed four editions, between 2002 and 2014, to establish the mark that has now been equaled.
The tactical scheme is designed to spare the star from defensive obligations, allowing him to circulate freely near the area. Pieces like Lautaro Martínez, Enzo Fernández and Alexis Mac Allister run the entire field to open spaces and deliver the clean ball to the number 10. Two of the goals came from exactly this dynamic, with precise finishes after short passes.
The big question is whether opponents with greater technical weight will give the same freedom that the Algerians granted. The central defense formed by Cristian Romero and Lisandro Martínez will also need to prove its value against faster attackers. However, as long as the offensive sector maintains this conversion rate, the problems at the rear remain in the background.
Stumble against African team generates distrust in the Spanish squad
- FIFA position (June 11): 2
- Group H calendar: 0-0 draw with Cape Verde; duel with Saudi Arabia (June 21, Atlanta); clash with Uruguay (June 26, Guadalajara)
The goalless draw against the modest Cape Verde team, which occupies only 67th place in the global ranking, reduced the prestige of the Spaniards among the journalists consulted. The entry of young Lamine Yamal in the final nineteen minutes brought some movement, but the team needs to present much better football in the next rounds.
The historical record plays against the Europeans, who tend to stumble in their debuts. In sixteen appearances in the tournament, the team won its first game on just four occasions. Since lifting the cup in 2010, the Spanish have had early eliminations, falling in the group stage in 2014 and in the round of 16 in 2018 and 2022, both times on penalties.
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The squad arrived in North America full of expectations due to the technical quality of their midfielders, but the slowness in the exchange of passes irritated the fans. To regain their status as favorites, the team will need to transform ball possession into goals in the next matches.
Relentless rout reaffirms the importance of the German shirt in the world tournament
- FIFA position (June 11): 10
- Group E calendar: victory over Curaçao 7-1; duel with Ivory Coast (June 20, Toronto); clash with Ecuador (June 25, New York/New Jersey)
European tradition spoke louder on Sunday, when the team mercilessly massacred the Curaçao team. The elastic scoreboard takes away the memories of the bad campaigns accumulated since the fourth championship in 2014. The offensive movement led by Jamal Musiala, Florian Wirtz, Kai Havertz and Joshua Kimmich proved that the team arrived strong for the dispute.
Maintaining this intense pace can place the team in the top positions in the next survey. The clashes against Ivory Coast and Ecuador will require more physical strength and imposition in the midfield. Coach Julian Nagelsmann is calm with his team’s performance so far.
Equal score against strong African rival costs Brazilians position
- FIFA position (June 11): 6
- Group C schedule: 1-1 draw with Morocco; duel with Haiti (June 19, Philadelphia); clash with Scotland (June 24, Miami)
The South American team left the elite squad in the experts’ view after the draw in New York/New Jersey. Despite the drop, the team continues to lead the intermediate block of the classification. The weight of the opponent was taken into account, as the Moroccans occupy seventh place in the global ranking and were very physically demanding during the ninety minutes.
The initial scare, with the team trailing behind, was corrected in the final stage. Vinicius Jr. scored his first goal in the World Cup by completing a perfect pass from Bruno Guimarães. The changes made by Carlo Ancelotti at half-time changed the dynamics of the game and secured the point. The next confrontation against Haiti will serve to test the firepower of the attack.
Tactical organization consolidates Moroccans as the main power in Africa
- FIFA position (June 11): 7
- Group C calendar: 1-1 draw with Brazil; duel with Scotland (June 19, Boston); clash with Haiti (June 24, Atlanta)
The African team proved its value by facing the Brazilians on equal terms, remaining firmly in the top 10 of the survey. Full-back Achraf Hakimi demonstrated impressive physical strength, while Ismael Saibari generated constant danger in command of the attack. On the right side, Brahim Díaz was the main playmaker.
The problems faced during the preparatory cycle seem to be in the past. The team shows tactical maturity and has everything it needs to gain the necessary points in the next games, guaranteeing a place in the knockout phase with ease.
Draw in the final minutes exposes the defensive weaknesses of the Dutch team
- FIFA position (June 11): 8
- Group F calendar: 2-2 draw with Japan; duel with Sweden (June 20, Houston); clash with Tunisia (June 25, Kansas City)
The stumble against the Asians did not take the team out of the top 10, but it raised a warning signal. The defensive system, led by Virgil van Dijk, failed in the final stretch and conceded the draw in the 43rd minute of the second half. Only two journalists placed the team among the six best in the tournament, reflecting distrust with the lack of concentration in the decisive moments.
The group’s situation became complex after Sweden’s defeat in the other match. Coach Ronald Koeman will need to adjust the marking, but he can trust in the talent of Ryan Gravenberch and Frenkie de Jong, who dominated the midfield sector for most of the opening clash.
Hosts show offensive strength and guarantee space among the top fifteen
- FIFA position (June 11): 17
- Group H calendar: 4-1 victory over Paraguay; duel with Australia (June 19, Seattle); clash with Turkey (June 25, Los Angeles)
The North American team finally caught the attention of experts. Used to appearing at the bottom of previous evaluations, Mauricio Pochettino’s men delivered a gala performance against the South Americans on Friday, dominating the action from start to finish.
Striker Folarin Balogun repeated the good performance he had at Monaco, finding the net twice in the first half. The trio formed by Malik Tillman, Weston McKennie and Tyler Adams suffocated the Paraguayan ball. On the wings, Antonee Robinson and Alex Freeman supported the attack without compromising the composition.
The negative point was the injury to Christian Pulisic. The midfielder felt a problem with his calf after providing an assist and needed to be replaced. The athlete did separate work from the group during the week and could be absent from the team in the important duel against the Australians.
The main star’s lackluster performance raises doubts about the Portuguese future
- FIFA position (June 11): 5
- Group K calendar: 1-1 draw with the Democratic Republic of Congo; duel with Uzbekistan (June 23, Houston); clash with Colombia (June 27, Miami)
The draw in the debut frustrated fans and reopened the discussion about Cristiano Ronaldo’s starting role. The striker only touched the ball 25 times and missed the three shots he attempted during the ninety minutes in Houston. The result reflected exactly what the two teams produced on the field.
Coach Roberto Martínez has a squad full of stars such as Bruno Fernandes, Vitinha, João Neves and Rafael Leão, but the insistence on focusing the plays on the veteran number 7 hampers the team. The defense also needs adjustments, depending on the medical recovery of Rúben Dias to gain stability alongside Renato Veiga.
Firepower in attack does not hide problems in the defense of the Nordic team
- FIFA position (June 11): 31
- Group H calendar: 4-1 victory over Iraq; duel with Senegal (June 22, New York/New Jersey); clash with France (June 26, Boston)
The return to the tournament after three decades of absence was celebrated in style by Erling Haaland. The center forward scored two beautiful goals and accumulated impressive finishing and playmaking statistics, sending a clear message to his opponents in the group.
Despite the rout, the game was tense. The team struggled to create space and only built a large lead in the final fifteen minutes, including an own goal in stoppage time. The clash against the Senegalese will demand much more from the unstable European defensive line.
Return to the world tournament is marked by individual brilliance in the offensive sector
- FIFA position (June 11): 13
- Group K calendar: 3-1 victory over Uzbekistan; duel with the Democratic Republic of Congo (June 23, Guadalajara); clash with Portugal (June 27, Miami)
Absent in Qatar, the South Americans made their debut in Mexico City. Luis Díaz commanded the offensive actions, scoring a goal and serving his teammates. The Asian opponent valued the result, even tying the match in the second half before giving in to the final pressure that resulted in Jáminton Campaz’s goal.
Liverpool winger carries the team
