World Cup 2026 power rankings: Argentina and France lead charge as England stall in round two

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The Independent

·24 de junio de 2026

World Cup 2026 power rankings: Argentina and France lead charge as England stall in round two

The 2026 World Cup is fully into the swing of things with all teams now having played their opening two matches of the campaign in North America.

After a build-up that centred on controversy, greed and conflict, fans have been captivated by some enthralling performances and disappointed by others, with the likes of France and holders Argentina stamping their marks as rightful favourites, while England, Portugal and Brazil have all made slight missteps.

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So much can change as the group stage progresses, but here’s how every team stacks up in The Independent’s World Cup 2026 power rankings, delving deeper into the top 10:

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 starred for France as he surpassed Pele’s all-time World Cup goal tally (Getty)

There was a slightly slow start for France (emphasis on slightly) as they failed to impress in their first half against Senegal. However, they sparked into life in the second half, showing off the depth of attacking talent that made them one of the pre-tournament favourites. Kylian Mbappe was a big part of that improved spell, scoring twice en route to a 3-1 win, and he did the same again in the 3-0 victory over Iraq.

With that, he surpassed Miroslav Klose’s 16 all-time World Cup goals, but unfortunately for the France forward, someone else had done the same a few hours earlier – and by a greater margin... Still, with Mbappe leading the line, Les Bleus look absolutely formidable every time they surge forward. No team will want to face them right now.

2. Argentina 🇦🇷

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Lionel Messi hit a hat-trick for Argentina in their opener against Algeria (Getty)

This World Cup has been the Lionel Messi show so far. Turning 39 this week, he faced questions about whether he could be as influential as he was during Argentina’s 2022 title-winning run; he has answered those questions emphatically. He scored all three goals in the opening 3-0 win over Algeria, then he scored both of his side’s goals in the 2-0 dismissal of Austria. Although he missed a penalty before that double against Austria, he should be commended for his resilience in finding the net thereafter to become the World Cup’s all-time leading scorer (18 goals).

Now, you could suggest that Argentina’s one flaw so far is looking a little bit reliant on their ageing captain, but the team has played well in general to serve him as best as possible, and we know how much quality the defending champions have. It might just show, beyond Messi’s individual magic, as the tournament progresses.

3. Spain 🇪🇸

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Lamine Yamal got on the scoresheet in Spain’s second game (Reuters)

Well, that was better, wasn't it! It took Lamine Yamal just 10 minutes of his first World Cup start against Saudi Arabia to follow in the footsteps of the other global superstars at this tournament and join the goalscoring party. By 24 minutes in, the underrated Mikel Oyarzabal had added two more and memories of that frustrating opening 0-0 draw with Cape Verde had faded into the distance.

La Roja took their foot of the gas somewhat from there but a comprehensive 4-0 victory has them right back on track to top the group and there is no reason to remove the favourites tag bestowed upon them before the World Cup began. Two clean sheets, a fully fit Yamal, an attack that is now clicking again... They slipped up in their opening match of the 2010 World Cup (losing 1-0 to Switzerland) as well before recovering and going on to win it, remember.

4. England 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

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Harry Kane scored twice in England's World Cup opener (PA)

The phrase 'reality check' was invented for games exactly like that insipid 0-0 draw with Ghana. While Ghana deserve praise for their organisational discipline, in reality the Black Stars' 2026 crop are far inferior to the 2010 side that would have made the semi-finals (and from there, who knows?) but for Luis Suarez's shameless goalkeeping brilliance. The danger created by Ghana's rare forays forward suggest England haven't fixed the defensive flaws so evident in that opening win over Croatia, while the attack's off-night was frustrating, even if they looked livelier once the subs came on.

In the grand scheme of this World Cup, a point is far from a disaster and the numerous positives from the Croatia triumph can't be entirely dismissed just because of a failure to break down a low block, hence the Three Lions remain in the top five. It is comforting to believe this England side is set up to thrive against bigger nations but that feels like an awfully convenient narrative to try and wave away a sub-par performance. A response is needed against Panama on Saturday before the bigger tests to come.

5. Germany 🇩🇪

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Germany thrashed Curacao after enduring a brief fright against the Caribbean minnow (Reuters)

Germany are perhaps a little unfortunate not to be higher up this list but there are still a few questions for the Germans to answer despite their 100 per cent win rate so far. Ivory Coast were tricky opponents and Julian Nagelsmann’s side found it difficult to finish clear chances, at least until Deniz Undav’s arrival. His match-winning substitute appearance, plus a goal off the bench against Curacao, is a boon for Germany as they head into the knockout rounds, but squad depth still looks a little thin especially in the attacking third when the Germans are chasing the game and struggling to convert, as they were here.

6. Morocco 🇲🇦

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Morocco looked the better team against five-time winners Brazil (Reuters)

The Afcon (sort of) champions already impressed with their draw against Brazil and if nothing else they will remember this World Cup for Ismael Saibari’s goal just 70 seconds into a hard-fought 1-0 win over a gritty Scotland. That gave them control of a potentially testing second group game, but Morocco dominated in all the essential statistics and claimed a vital three points which all but confirms their place in the next round. How far they can go in the tournament remains to be seen but if they continue to trend upwards, they could show that reaching the semi-final in 2022 wasn’t a fluke.

7. Brazil 🇧🇷

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Brazil’s underwhelming performance has harmed their early ranking (Getty)

Brazil brushed off their sluggish performance against Morocco with a delightful outing against an easier opponent in Haiti. It was the perfect response from Carlo Ancelotti’s side who are seeking to regain the fear factor that has accompanied Brazil in many a major tournament. There is work to do defensively and the injury to Raphinha is concerning but Matheus Cunha and Vinicius Jr proved that the Selecao are still threatening and dangerous when everything clicks into place.

8. Portugal 🇵🇹

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Cristiano Ronaldo failed to impress in Portugal’s opener (Getty)

Caveat it all with the quality of opposition – and boy were Uzbekistan poor – but this was far more fluid from Roberto Martinez's side with the depth of options behind Cristiano Ronaldo underlined by how they kept pushing for more after the substitutes had arrived. Ronaldo is still likely to struggle when he comes up against a tighter, smarter defensive unit but there was something entertaining about him shouting "I'm back." If only he can start scoring in the knockout rounds...

9. United States 🇺🇸

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The US eased past Paraguay in their opening match (Getty)

The hosts appear determined to ride the wave well into July. The draw has been favourable and the expectation remains that the first top side they play should prove too good. Yet the opening two performances have been very, very impressive and history suggests home advantage can build irresistible momentum. Plus with Mauricio Pochettino, no stranger to having average teams punch above their weight, steering them, it would be increasingly foolish to rule out a deep run completely.

10. Netherlands 🇳🇱

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Virgil van Dijk (second-right) led the Dutch to a much better performance in their second outing (Getty)

Few doubted the quality of their defence and midfield pre-tournament and now Brian Brobbey could prove the answer to Ronald Koeman's centre-forward puzzle. The ruthless manner in which they cut open a dismal Sweden side with three similar goals – low cutback crosses after doing damage out wide, with a pair of them polished off by Brobbey – may be more than a blueprint for defeating Graham Potter's side and a sign that the most renowned nation to have never become world champions may be more than just a dark horse in this tournament.