World Cup 2026 power rankings: Rating all eight nations ahead of the quarter-finals

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The Independent

·8. Juli 2026

World Cup 2026 power rankings: Rating all eight nations ahead of the quarter-finals

The 2026 World Cup is heading to the quarter-finals after another action-packed knockout round sent eight more nations packing from the tournament, including two heavyweight contenders.

Brazil succumbed to the goalscoring prowess of Erling Haaland as Carlo Ancelotti’s bid to add a sixth star to the Selecao shirt came to an end at the hands of Norway. Along with Portugal, they joined all three host nations in exiting the competition, with the USA following Canada and Mexico out of the competition after being embroiled in controversy surrounding Fifa’s suspension of Folarin Balogun’s one-match ban.

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At the other end of the scale, England produced an all-time great World Cup performance to dump Mexico out at altitude, making a statement as they became just the third team to ever beat the co-hosts at the Estadio Azteca in a competitive match. France still look like the team to beat though weren’t as emphatic against a dirty Paraguay side, while Argentina and Spain both required stoppage-time winners to progress.

There may have been questions surrounding the dilution of quality in a 48-team World Cup, but after whittling down to our best eight, that is definitely no longer a factor.

Rankings are based on a combination of performance and potential at the 2026 World Cup, as well as how teams are faring relative to pre-tournament expectations:

1. France 🇫🇷 ↔️

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Kylian Mbappe celebrates after France overcame Paraguay’s dirty tactics (Getty)

France are the team to beat at this World Cup. While their closest challengers on the other side of the bracket have, so far, been carried by one exceptional superstar, Didier Deschamps has put together a so far untouchable unit powered by its unleashed attacking ranks. They hit 10 goals in the group stage before adding three more to no reply against Sweden to progress to the last 16 - and while their 1-0 win over Paraguay last time out wasn’t as emphatic as previous results, some leeway can be given due to the - let’s be honest - shameful tactics of the South American side. Kylian Mbappe’s penalty winner took his all-time World Cup tally to 19 goals - sorry Mirsolav Klose, your record has been blown out of the water twice this tournament.

2. Spain 🇪🇸 ↔️

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Spain are into the quarter-finals after beating Portugal (Getty)

Spain came into this tournament as the favourites but didn’t exactly show that right from the outset, unlike their two main challengers either side of them in these rankings. That frustrating opening 0-0 draw with Cape Verde in Group H delivered one of the early shocks of the World Cup, though with Lamine Yamal back fit in the side they managed build up some steam - first with the thrashing of Saudi Arabia (as they were expected to do) before sealing top spot in the group by overcoming Uruguay in a fiery clash. In the knockouts, however, Spain are beginning to really look like potential winners.

After brushing Austria aside in a 3-0 last-32 win, Spain broke Portuguese hearts (including Cristiano Ronaldo’s) courtesy of a last-gasp Mikel Merino winner to seal their place in the quarter-finals. It wasn’t the most spectacular performance in a largely cagey affair, granted, but dumping out a big hitter will always get you points, no matter the method.

3. England 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 ⬆️

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England have stoked belief after eliminating Mexico on enemy soil (PA Wire)

They’ve only gone and got us dreaming again. After nearly succumbing to another “Iceland moment” in a narrow, late comeback win over DR Congo in the last-32, many had England pegged to go out to co-hosts Mexico at the Estadio Azteca (did you know it’s quite high up?), a fortress of Mexican football where only two away teams had ever won in a competitive match. What ensued was one of the best England performances in World Cup history.

After surviving the early expected wave of Mexican pressure, Jude Bellingham’s stunning brace in a minute put the Three Lions in control. England’s resolve went on to be seriously tested, however - their lead was cut in half not once but twice, with the teams trading penalties after the break, and they played much of the second half with 10 men after Jarell Quansah was sent off (get on the blower to Gianni, Keir!).

Those last 20 minutes of normal time, plus 11 agonising minutes in stoppages, were some of the longest in memory. But after putting in the defensive shift of their lives - Dan Burn, I’m pointing at you - Thomas Tuchel’s men got over the line in Mexico City. National pride spiked at 4am, a World Cup dream renewed. To quote the late, great Eddie Guerrero, viva la raza. Norway next.

4. Argentina 🇦🇷 ⬇️

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Lionel Messi was in tears after Argentina controversially scraped past Egypt (Getty)

It is still very much the Lionel Messi show when it comes to Argentina - though his goals are now becoming a sub-plot of a turbulent knockout stage so far for the holders. After a narrow extra-time win over an admirable Cape Verde side took a bit of the shine off a flawless group stage, their World Cup now surrounded by refereeing controversy after coming from two down to scrape past Egypt.

The Pharaohs had a goal disallowed in the first half for a foul many considered way too far back in the build-up to justify action, while Mohamed Salah thought he should have had a penalty before the Argentina counter-attacked and found their stoppage-time winner. Mostafa Ziko, who saw his goal chalked off before scoring anyway in the second half, has accused the World Cup of being “fixed” as a result. It’s an ugly look for Argentina, whose very lucky - and arguably wrongful - escape against a significantly weaker side pushes them down in these rankings.

5. Morocco 🇲🇦 ⬆️

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Morocco were the first team to eliminate a host nation (Reuters)

The Afcon (sort of) champions impressed in the group stage, especially in their opening draw against Brazil where they were the better side, but were punished for not scoring big against Scotland or Haiti as they ran out second in Group C, setting up a match with big hitters Netherlands in the round of 32’s most-stacked tie.

Cue a match filled with last drama and one of the most bewildering penalty shootouts in World Cup history, which saw five out of 10 spot-kicks missed - with Morocco the victors. After inflicting one of the two biggest eliminations of the last-32, Morocco have now dumped out one of the hosts in a dominant win over Canada, and are very much succeeding in their bid to prove their 2022 semi-final run was no fluke.

6. Norway 🇳🇴 ⬆️

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Erling Haaland leads the celebrations after Norway dumped out Brazil (Getty)

Norway hadn’t been at a World Cup in 28 years before making their return to the global stage in North America - they now look like they’re here to stay. Powered by Erling Haaland’s goals, they head to the quarter-finals off the back of the biggest scalp in their history, dumping out five-time winners Brazil in an upset that, on paper, looks seismic, but was actually very much on the cards if you’d watched both teams this tournament. Haaland scored both in the 2-0 win in New Jersey (because of course he did) to propel himself among Messi and Mbappe in the golden boot race, and now stares down the barrel of a last-eight meeting with the Three Lions - unfortunately for Tuchel, Haaland has a knack for scoring against English defences.

7. Belgium 🇧🇪 ⬆️

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Belgium's Romelu Lukaku puts his hand to his ear to the USA fans after controversy surrounded their last-16 match (Reuters)

The people’s team. Belgium were faced with an injustice and a very possible breach of sporting integrity heading into their last-16 clash with hosts USA when their top scorer Balogun saw his red card ban was “suspended” by Fifa, which followed a call from US president Donald Trump to his good chum Gianni Infantino. Spark the entire footballing world (apart from the Americans) rooting against those great United States. And boy, did we get a successful hate watch.

While Belgium are not what they used to be after seeing their golden generation pass them by, Rudi Garcia’s team clearly had extra fire in their belly courtesy of the controversy as they dismantled the dismal hosts in a 4-1 win. “Overturn this,” posted Belgium on their official social media accounts.

They beat the odds stacked against them by Mr Trump, but can they do it again by overcoming one of the tournament favourites in Spain next up? We think that’s a long shot.

8. Switzerland🇨🇭⬆️

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Switzerland progressed to the last-eight on penalties (Reuters)

You can’t really be classed as getting the wooden spoon as a World Cup quarter-finalist but if it has to be given out, Switzerland are the receivers as the victor of the most uneventful last-16 tie by a country mile. The Swiss are into the quarter-finals after edging Colombia on penalties, following a goalless draw in 120 minutes. The first time they’ve reached the last-eight in 72 years, Switzerland have finally broken their last-16 curse - they’d exited the competition five times just before the quarters since that 1954 run. They’re charged with eliminating holders Argentina in the next round - safe to say they’ll have the whole of Egypt rooting for them, too.