2026 World Cup Power Rankings: Messi's Argentina Tops as Spain and Portugal Struggle in Group Stage

2026 World Cup Power Rankings: Messi Leads Argentina, Spain and Portugal Falter

The opening round of the 2026 World Cup group stage has wrapped up, delivering unexpected results and thrilling moments across the board. Despite the expanded format lacking headline fixtures on paper, the action has been lively with many star players stepping up.

Hosts Mexico and the United States claimed solid victories, while Brazil was held to a draw by Morocco. Germany overwhelmed Curacao, the Netherlands and Japan shared a captivating 2-2 draw, and underdogs Cape Verde and DR Congo managed impressive stalemates against Spain and Portugal respectively.

Among individual performances, Kylian Mbappe, Erling Haaland, and Harry Kane each scored two goals, but it was Lionel Messi who stole the show with a hat-trick for defending champions Argentina. Cristiano Ronaldo’s start was less memorable, struggling in Portugal’s opener.

With the first round complete and much more football ahead, here is GOAL’s ranking of all 48 teams competing across the United States, Mexico, and Canada.

Bottom Tier Teams

• Curacao (48th): The smallest nation ever at the World Cup suffered a heavy 7-0 loss to Germany but will cherish Livano Comenencia’s equalizer moment.
• Panama (47th): After a late defeat to Ghana, Panama face tough matches ahead and seem unlikely to progress.
• Iraq (46th): Returning after 40 years, Iraq fought bravely but fell 4-1 to Norway. Their next challenge is France.
• Tunisia (45th): A crushing 5-1 loss to Sweden led to coach Sabri Lamouchi’s early dismissal, replaced by Herve Renard.
• Haiti (44th): Narrowly losing to Scotland, Haiti will find their upcoming games against Brazil and Morocco daunting.

Teams Showing Promise

• Jordan (43rd): Debuting at the World Cup, Jordan showed fight against Austria and have a chance to upset Algeria next.
• South Africa (42nd): Outplayed by Mexico and hampered by red cards, South Africa faces a challenging road forward.
• Uzbekistan (41st): Marked by their first-ever World Cup goal, Uzbekistan lost to Colombia but remain hopeful.
• Paraguay (40th): Suffering a heavy defeat to the U.S., Paraguay’s chances look slim as they prepare to face Turkiye and Australia.
• New Zealand (39th): Holding Iran to a 2-2 draw, New Zealand’s hopes depend on upcoming matches against Egypt and others.

Mid-Table Teams With Mixed Fortunes

• Qatar (38th): Improved since 2022, Qatar earned a late draw against Switzerland, offering hope for knockout qualification.
• Algeria (37th): Suffered a heavy loss to Argentina and must now win crucial games to stay alive.
• Cape Verde (36th): A historic goalless draw with Spain places them in a strong position in their group.
• Saudi Arabia (35th): Earned a draw with Uruguay after an early lead and look to capitalize against weaker opponents.
• Iran (34th): Despite difficult circumstances off the pitch, Iran battled to a point against New Zealand.

Teams Nearing Top Contenders

• Czechia (33rd): Lost narrowly to South Korea and face a tough path to progress.
• DR Congo (32nd): Drew with Portugal and have potential if they can maintain momentum.
• Bosnia and Herzegovina (31st): Took a point from co-host Canada and could cause surprises in upcoming matches.
• Canada (30th): Co-hosts have a chance to advance but missed opportunity to beat Bosnia.
• Ghana (29th): Late winner over Panama boosts their knockout hopes despite a tough group.

Teams with Solid Starts

• Scotland (28th): First World Cup win in decades gives confidence for remaining games.
• Senegal (27th): Competitive in defeat to France, aiming to bounce back quickly.
• Turkiye (26th): Need urgent improvement after opening loss to Australia.
• Ecuador (25th): Missed chances cost dearly in narrow loss to Ivory Coast.
• Australia (24th): Surprised many with a win over Turkiye and look poised to qualify again.

Promising Performances From Established Teams

• South Korea (23rd): Important victory over Czechia puts them in a strong position.
• Uruguay (22nd): Mixed performance in draw with Saudi Arabia but capable of progress.
• Egypt (21st): Frustrated by draw with Belgium but expect to win upcoming matches.
• Croatia (20th): Early loss to England means they must regroup quickly.
• Austria (19th): Narrow win over Jordan keeps hopes alive despite injury setbacks.

Strong Teams Looking To Build Momentum

• Sweden (18th): Dominant win over Tunisia shows potential despite qualifying via Nations League.
• Switzerland (17th): Disappointing draw with Qatar raises questions about finishing.
• Ivory Coast (16th): Late winner against Ecuador gives good platform in the group.
• Colombia (15th): Started well with a win over Uzbekistan.
• Mexico (14th): Home crowd energized team to comfortable win over South Africa.

Top Teams With Challenges Ahead

• United States (13th): Strong 4-1 opening win against Paraguay sets foundation for success.
• Belgium (12th): Underwhelming draw with Egypt dampens expectations.
• Japan (11th): Resilient to secure a draw with the Netherlands.
• Netherlands (10th): Two leads squandered against Japan leaves group wide open.
• Norway (9th): Convincing win over Iraq fuels hopes for a deep tournament run.

Leading Contenders

• Morocco (8th): Following their historic 2022 run, a solid draw with Brazil promises more success.
• Brazil (7th): Reliant on Vinicius Jr. for a point against Morocco; improvements needed.
• Portugal (6th): Disappointing draw with DR Congo reignites debate over Ronaldo’s role.
• Germany (5th): Crushing 7-1 victory over Curacao offers momentum.
• Spain (4th): Shocking 0-0 draw with Cape Verde exposes attacking flaws.

Top Three Favorites

• England (3rd): Victory over Croatia revealed the potency of their attack under Thomas Tuchel.
• France (2nd): Found form late against Senegal with Mbappe showcasing his world-class talent.
• Argentina (1st): Lionel Messi’s hat-trick against Algeria announced their intent to defend the title.

“Were you one of those who wrote off 38-year-old Lionel Messi at his sixth World Cup? He reminded us all why he remains a force, leading Argentina brilliantly.”