World Cup Power Rankings: Cristiano, Kylian, Lionel Hold Strong Amidst Chaos
Cristiano Ronaldo has finally joined the World Cup, Kylian Mbappe is already dictating it and Lionel Messi is bending it to his will. Day 13 brought a 5-0 demolition, a laboured 0-0 and a flurry of late drama – and yet the top of these power rankings barely twitched.
At this stage, it takes something seismic to move the established elite. France, Argentina and Germany are locked in, Spain are rising again, and England have reminded everyone exactly who they are.
So who really shifted the needle?
1. France – machine mode engaged
FIFA ranking: 3
Previous: 1 (no change)
Someone will have to do something extraordinary to knock France off this perch. Right now, they look like a team that has solved themselves.
Since the second half of their opener against Senegal, Michael Olise has owned the No 10 role. He pulled the strings again in a 3-0 win over Iraq, adding two more assists to his tournament tally and giving this side a sharper edge between the lines.
The storm delay in Philadelphia only paused the spectacle. It didn’t slow Mbappe. Two more goals, a second straight brace, and France eased into the knockouts with an inevitability that feels ominous for everyone else.
Norway await on Friday for top spot in the group. Didier Deschamps will miss that game following the death of his mother, but is expected back for the knockouts. France, though, look like they could almost pick themselves.
2. Argentina – Messi’s tournament, again
FIFA ranking: 1
Previous: 2 (no change)
You thought you’d seen peak Messi. Then he turned up at 38 and took over another World Cup.
He has scored all five of Argentina’s goals across their two wins. Every single one. His double against Austria not only dragged them through again, it made him the World Cup’s all-time leading scorer.
Behind him, the defence has quietly stitched together back-to-back clean sheets, though Cristian Romero’s knee injury against Austria is a worrying note in an otherwise dominant start.
Argentina still need other forwards to ignite at some point. On this evidence, though, you’re left asking the same old question: does he really need them?
3. Germany – finally out of the group, finally dangerous
FIFA ranking: 10
Previous: 3 (no change)
The 7-1 against Curacao was a spectacle. The 2-1 comeback against Ivory Coast meant far more.
Germany trailed for over half an hour, stared at another group-stage stumble – and then Deniz Undav arrived. Two goals off the bench, the winner created by a gorgeous Felix Nmecha ball and finished with a sharp turn and strike in added time.
That victory put them through as Group E winners, their first progression from a World Cup group since 2014, when they went on to lift the trophy. Julian Nagelsmann’s side now have something they’ve lacked for a decade: momentum.
4. Spain – humiliation answered in style
FIFA ranking: 2
Previous: 5 (up 1)
Cape Verde exposed them. Saudi Arabia paid for it.
Stung by that opening draw, Spain produced one of the most one-sided displays of the tournament in a 4-0 dismantling of Saudi Arabia. Twenty-two shots, 2.85 xG, and the sense they could have scored whenever they fancied.
Lamine Yamal needed just 10 minutes of his first World Cup start to score, then banked 45 useful minutes in his legs. Mikel Oyarzabal, who went half an hour without a touch against Cape Verde, responded with two goals here.
The job now is simple: beat Uruguay on Friday and wrap up Group H properly.
5. England – the familiar flat note
FIFA ranking: 4
Previous: 4 (down 1)
The swagger of the 4-2 win over Croatia didn’t last long.
England sank back into their comfort zone with a goalless draw against Ghana: sterile possession, slow tempo, little incision. After all the noise about attacking freedom, this was a reminder of how quickly the old patterns can return.
They still control their fate. Beat Panama in the final group game and they finish as group winners. But the chorus of “It’s coming home” has dropped a few decibels.
6. Netherlands – statement win, soft landing
FIFA ranking: 8
Previous: 6 (no change)
If anyone was unsure about the Netherlands, Sweden know now.
A 5-1 thrashing announced their arrival. Brian Brobbey bullied his way through the Swedish back line, combining fluently with Cody Gakpo and Crysencio Summerville as the attack clicked into something slick and ruthless.
With Tunisia to come, and already reeling, the Dutch are strong favourites to top a group that looked awkward on paper but is starting to feel very manageable.
7. Brazil – order restored, questions parked
FIFA ranking: 6
Previous: 7 (no change)
Brazil looked jittery in their opener. Against Haiti, they looked like Brazil again.
A 3-0 win never really felt in doubt. Matheus Cunha, preferred to Igor Thiago, knitted better into the fluid front line and gave their attack a more natural focal point.
The opposition level was modest, so the bigger verdict waits. But they needed a calm, convincing night, and they got it. Now Carlo Ancelotti’s side eye Scotland and top spot in Group C.
8. Morocco – weight of expectation, clarity of purpose
FIFA ranking: 7
Previous: 8 (no change)
Semi-finalists in 2022, likely AFCON winners earlier this year, and now carrying a continent’s expectation.
Morocco have handled it. A draw with Brazil and a win over Scotland has them well-placed in Group C. Ismael Saibari has taken both of their goals with composure and quality, a neat symbol of a team that rarely panics.
To finish top, they may need to thump Haiti, depending on Brazil’s result against Scotland. But the real objective is simple: get through. They’re on course.
9. United States – the hype train has fuel
FIFA ranking: 17
Previous: 9 (no change)
When people start asking whether the U.S. can win the World Cup, you know something has shifted.
That talk is premature, but the football has been exhilarating. A 4-1 demolition of Paraguay was followed by a controlled 2-0 win over Australia, both achieved without needing Christian Pulisic in the second game.
They’re already through as group winners. Mauricio Pochettino can rest and rotate against Turkey on Thursday and quietly map a route deep into the tournament. The mood around this team is crackling.
10. Norway – dark horses with teeth
FIFA ranking: 31
Previous: 10 (no change)
The tag of “dark horses” is starting to look too small.
Norway’s 3-2 win over Senegal was more chaotic than clinical, but it underlined their threat. They ran the African champions’ defence ragged, forced errors and created chances almost at will.
Erling Haaland, inevitably, is at the centre of it. Another double takes them to seven goals in two games. The defence looks vulnerable, yes. But so far, they’ve simply outscored the problem.
11. Colombia – perfect record, imperfect performances
FIFA ranking: 14
Previous: 12 (up 1)
Two games, two wins, 100 per cent record. It hasn’t been smooth.
They wobbled against Uzbekistan and then made heavy weather of a 1-0 win over DR Congo, but the essentials are done: Colombia are into the knockouts with a game to spare.
That removes the jeopardy from a fascinating meeting with Portugal, though top spot is still on the line. A draw will do it. The football has room to improve; the results, so far, do not.
12. Mexico – efficient, not electric, but through
FIFA ranking: 13
Previous: 11 (down 1)
Mexico became the first side to secure a place in the knockout stage, and they did it their way: controlled, unspectacular, effective.
A 1-0 win over South Korea followed a similarly measured display against South Africa. Two wins, two clean sheets, and top spot in Group A already guaranteed.
The real bonus is logistical. As group winners, they’ll face a third-placed side in the next round, and both their last-32 and last-16 games would be in Mexico City. Home comfort, maximum pressure.
13. Portugal – Ronaldo answers, questions remain
FIFA ranking: 5
Previous: 13 (no change)
Portugal badly needed a performance. Uzbekistan provided the perfect canvas.
A 5-0 rout reset the mood after their flat opener against DR Congo. Ronaldo scored twice, making history as the first man to score in six different World Cups and, more importantly, cooling the relentless debate over his place in the side.
Context matters. Uzbekistan’s defence looked overawed and naive, and this result cannot be a shortcut to grand conclusions about Portugal’s ceiling. Colombia, next, will be a far more revealing test.
14. Croatia – still hanging on to the old magic
FIFA ranking: 11
Previous: 14 (no change)
Croatia are clinging to their golden generation and, for now, it’s just about working.
They survived serious scares against Panama, needing substitute Ante Budimir’s close-range finish to grind out a 1-0 victory. It was nervy, it was unconvincing, but it was also exactly the kind of game this group has been winning for years.
The signs from their first two matches don’t scream “deep run”. History, though, says you never write them off.
15. Egypt – finally a World Cup win
FIFA ranking: 29
Previous: 15 (no change)
At last, a World Cup victory.
Egypt had to come from behind against New Zealand, but a goal and an assist from Mohamed Salah dragged them over the line and ended their long wait for a win at this tournament.
There’s little to suggest they can go far, yet a win over Iran on Friday would see them top Group G and face a third-placed side in the last 32. For now, that’s enough of a target.
16. Japan – speed, structure, statement
FIFA ranking: 18
Previous: 16 (no change)
This was Japan at full tilt.
A 4-0 dismantling of Tunisia, featuring an Ayase Ueda double, gave them their biggest-ever World Cup win and made them the first Asian team to score four in a single game at the tournament.
Tunisia are in disarray, so perspective is needed. But across two matches Japan have played with clarity: high speed, high intensity, aggressive pressing. Their progression is more than 99 per cent certain. The identity is even more secure.
17. South Korea – time for stars to show up
FIFA ranking: 22
Previous: 17 (no change)
This was not in the script.
A flat, chance-starved performance in a 1-0 defeat to Mexico has left their qualification on a knife-edge. Son Heung-min was substituted before the hour, the attack misfired and the sense of frustration was obvious.
Beat South Africa and they should still go through. But the margin for error has gone, and their big names must carry them now.
18. Switzerland – a new name lights it up
FIFA ranking: 19
Previous: 18 (no change)
Johan Manzambi announced himself in style.
At 20 years and 247 days, the Freiburg forward became the youngest player to score a double as a substitute in a men’s World Cup match, turning a tight game against Bosnia and Herzegovina into a 4-1 win late on.
Next up is Canada. A draw is enough to qualify; a win secures top spot. Suddenly, Switzerland have a new weapon.
19. Canada – six goals, one statement
FIFA ranking: 30
Previous: 19 (no change)
Canada didn’t just win their first World Cup match. They obliterated Qatar.
A 6-0 victory in Vancouver was as cathartic as it was historic, with Jonathan David helping himself to a hat-trick as Jesse Marsch’s side unleashed the aggressive, front-foot football he wants.
Ismael Kone’s injury is the one sour note and a significant blow. Even so, a draw against Switzerland on Wednesday will take the co-hosts into the knockout stage. They have arrived.
20. Ghana – four points, no fear
FIFA ranking: 73
Previous: 23 (up 3)
Ghana’s World Cup could hardly be going better.
A last-minute win over Panama was followed by a disciplined, organised 0-0 draw with England that might easily have been more. Their counter-attacks carried real threat and they were unfortunate not to be awarded a penalty for Ezri Konsa’s foul on Prince Kwabena Adu.
Four points from two games should be enough. For a team ranked 73rd by FIFA, they are playing with a top-20 conviction.
21. Belgium – reputation versus reality
FIFA ranking: 9
Previous: 20 (down 1)
The numbers look fine. The football does not.
Belgium took 23 shots, generated 1.82 xG and had 70 per cent of the ball against Iran. They still couldn’t win. Kevin De Bruyne remains one of the Premier League’s finest, Romelu Lukaku is still his country’s record scorer, but this team feels like half of what it should be.
They’ve failed to beat Egypt and Iran. Even if they beat New Zealand on Friday, how far can they really go? They need Jeremy Doku back, and quickly.
22. Ivory Coast – close, but not quite
FIFA ranking: 33
Previous: 21 (down 1)
For over half an hour against Germany, Ivory Coast were on the brink of a statement result.
Yan Diomande and Amad stretched the German defence, their wide play causing repeated problems. But they couldn’t hold on, and late goals turned a famous win into a painful defeat.
The upside: they are still 95 per cent likely to make the knockouts, according to forecast models. The downside: they now know just how much more is required to trouble the very best.
23. Uruguay – numbers up, points down
FIFA ranking: 16
Previous: 22 (down 1)
Forty-four shots. 3.88 xG. Three goals. Two points.
Uruguay’s tournament has been a study in waste. They’ve drawn both games and now need a result against Spain to qualify. This is not what Marcelo Bielsa plotted when he looked at Group H.
They arrived with a strong midfield and qualification form that matched Brazil and Colombia on points, but their recent slump has followed them into the finals. The flimsy two-man wall that allowed Cape Verde’s long-range free kick to sneak in summed it up: fragile, unfocused, costly.
24. Algeria – dangerous from dead balls
FIFA ranking: 28
Previous: 24 (no change)
Algeria’s route to upsetting bigger names might just be through the set-piece.
Both goals in their comeback win over Jordan came from corners, a reminder that they can punish opponents from minimal chances. Riyad Mahrez’s return to the starting XI added a creative spark in open play too.
Austria on Sunday will decide second place in the group. With a minus-two goal difference, Algeria still have work to do to secure a best-third-place escape if they miss out.
25. Sweden – flat-track bullies, exposed again
FIFA ranking: 38
Previous: 25 (no change)
Sweden have shown us exactly who they are.
They blitzed Tunisia 5-1, then suffered the same 5-1 fate against the Netherlands. With Viktor Gyokeres and Alexander Isak, they can rip apart weaker sides. Against a top-tier opponent, their defensive flaws are brutally exposed.
There is talent here. There is not, yet, a complete team.
26. Senegal – goals scored, belief leaking
FIFA ranking: 15
Previous: 26 (no change)
Senegal started brightly against France. Since then, the wheels have started to wobble.
Six goals conceded in two games tells its own story. Ismaila Sarr’s double against Norway and Ibrahim Mbaye’s strike versus France show they can hurt anyone, but defensive errors against Norway could easily have led to an even heavier defeat.
Edouard Mendy’s injury after an hour only deepened the concern. They now need a big, convincing win over Iraq and a favourable goal-difference swing to sneak through as one of the best third-placed teams.
27. Australia – promise stalled
FIFA ranking: 27
Previous: 27 (no change)
The optimism from a 2-0 win over Turkey evaporated quickly against the United States.
Tony Popovic’s decision to leave Nestory Irankunda and Connor Metcalfe – both scorers in the opener – out of the starting line-up backfired. Without Irankunda’s pace on the break, Australia looked blunt and struggled badly in the first half.
They now face Paraguay for what is effectively a shootout for second place.
28. Austria – no clear weapon
FIFA ranking: 25
Previous: 28 (no change)
Ralf Rangnick shuffled his pack against Argentina, bringing Kevin Danso into defence and Paul Wanner into midfield. The problem remains the same.
Austria have quality but no defining strength. They lack a prolific striker, they don’t have a fortress back line – Jordan scored against them – and it’s hard to see exactly how they hurt better teams consistently.
Their meeting with Algeria on Sunday will decide who finishes second. Right now, it feels delicately poised, rather than in their hands.
29. Scotland – calculators out, Brazil next
FIFA ranking: 41
Previous: 29 (no change)
Scotland’s World Cup has turned into a maths exam.
After scraping past Haiti 1-0, they lost by the same score to Morocco but finished strongly enough to believe they can trouble Brazil in their final Group C game. Fans are now poring over permutations, goal differences and third-place tables.
Any positive result against the five-time world champions would take them into the knockouts for the first time. The task is enormous. The opportunity is, too.
30. Iran – on the brink
FIFA ranking: 20
Previous: 30 (no change)
On paper, a draw with Belgium is a fine result. On the pitch, Iran will know it could have been more.
They created good chances, saw a smart free-kick routine ruled out for a tight offside and failed to exploit Belgium going down to 10 men. That stalemate followed a draw with New Zealand and leaves their hopes of progression hanging by a thread.
They must now hope Egypt ease off in the final Group G game. Otherwise, the margins they’ve squandered will come back to haunt them.
31. Ecuador – unbeaten streak, then unravelled
FIFA ranking: 24
Previous: 31 (no change)
Nineteen games. Two years. No defeats. Then this.
Ecuador have stumbled badly, losing to Ivory Coast and drawing with Curacao. They’ve generated 4.08 xG across the tournament and still haven’t scored, a damning mix of poor finishing and misfortune.
Enner Valencia, now 36, is no longer the ruthless force he was in Qatar 2022, when he scored three in the group stage. With Germany to come and Nagelsmann’s side already through, Ecuador must hope for heavy rotation – and a sudden rediscovery of their scoring touch.
32. Paraguay – grit and a long-range rocket
FIFA ranking: 40
Previous: 32 (no change)
This was more like the Paraguay people expected.
Their 1-0 win over Turkey began with Matias Galarza smashing in from distance after just two minutes. When Miguel Almiron was sent off – the first player ever dismissed for covering his mouth while speaking to an opponent – their defence stood up, repelling wave after wave of Turkish attacks.
They will miss Almiron badly against Australia in the battle for second place. But their defensive steel is back on show.
33. Cape Verde – the tournament’s wildest dream
FIFA ranking: 67
Previous: 33 (no change)
Cape Verde are writing one of the great World Cup stories.
They followed their shock draw with Spain by holding Uruguay 2-2, thanks to a 40-yard free kick and a moment of brilliance from substitute Helio Varela. Two former world champions, two famous results.
Beat Saudi Arabia and they will become the most unlikely knockout-stage team this competition has seen. Even a draw might be enough. Whatever happens, they have already stretched the imagination of what’s possible.
34. Saudi Arabia – from high to harsh reality
FIFA ranking: 60
Previous: 34 (no change)
Saudi Arabia’s spirited draw with Uruguay felt like a platform. Spain smashed it.
A 4-0 defeat could easily have been heavier, so total was Spain’s control. Yet their path remains clear enough: beat Cape Verde and they finish on four points, likely in at least third place in Group H.
Given the group, they would have accepted that scenario before a ball was kicked. Now they must deliver it with everything on the line.
35. New Zealand – stubborn again, but time is short
FIFA ranking: 85
Previous: 35 (no change)
Sixteen years after drawing all three games at the 2010 World Cup, New Zealand are still awkward, still hard to put away.
They led Egypt through Finn Surman’s first-half goal before Mohamed Salah turned the game around in a 3-1 defeat – their first World Cup loss since 1982.
Beat a faltering Belgium on Saturday and they will almost certainly reach the knockouts for the first time. It would be the biggest result in their football history.
36. Czech Republic – fast start, slow fade
FIFA ranking: 43
Previous: 37 (up 1)
Michal Sadilek scored the fastest goal of this World Cup – five minutes and seven seconds – and the Czech Republic looked in control against South Africa.
They couldn’t finish the job. South Africa grew into the game and levelled late on, earning a 1-1 draw that suits neither side.
Now the Czechs must beat co-hosts Mexico in Mexico City to go through. It is, by any measure, a daunting assignment.
37. Bosnia and Herzegovina – last chance in Seattle
FIFA ranking: 64
Previous: 38 (up 1)
Bosnia and Herzegovina were minutes away from a precious point against Switzerland before collapsing late.
That 4-1 defeat leaves them in a simple position: beat Qatar in Seattle on Wednesday and they will almost certainly reach the knockouts on four points. Lose, and they go home. There is no middle ground left.
38. DR Congo – organised, dangerous, still alive
FIFA ranking: 46
Previous: 40 (up 2)
DR Congo have twice stood up to star-studded opposition.
They drew 1-1 with Portugal and then lost only 1-0 to Colombia, defending stoutly and countering with real menace through Yoane Wissa. This is a team that knows its strengths and plays to them.
Beat Uzbekistan this weekend and four points should be enough to see them through. Few big names will relish facing them.
39. Qatar – humiliated, but not hopeless
FIFA ranking: 56
Previous: 39 (no change)
Everything that could go wrong against Canada did.
Six goals conceded, two red cards, and a performance that shredded confidence. Yet their task in the final group game is brutally clear: beat Bosnia and Herzegovina and they will likely reach the knockouts on four points.
For a host nation under scrutiny, that clarity might be their only comfort.
40. Curacao – one man, 15 saves, and a lifeline
FIFA ranking: 82
Previous: 41 (up 1)
Eloy Room produced one of the goalkeeping performances of the tournament.
His 15 saves against Ecuador not only preserved a 0-0 draw, they made history for Curacao at their first World Cup and kept their dream alive.
Beat Ivory Coast and they will have a real shot at progression. Nobody expected them to be here. They are in no mood to leave quietly.
41. South Africa – spirit without reward
FIFA ranking: 61
Previous: 43 (up 2)
South Africa improved, fought back and earned a late draw against the Czech Republic. It still wasn’t enough.
They needed a win. Now they must beat South Korea to have any chance of reaching the knockouts. The performance levels are rising. The margin for error has vanished.
42. Iraq – outgunned, outclassed, not out yet
FIFA ranking: 57
Previous: 44 (up 2)
Facing Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe in consecutive games is a brutal introduction to this World Cup.
Iraq have been well beaten by both Norway and France, and the injury to captain Aymen Hussein after 26 minutes against France only deepened their problems.
To have any hope, they must thrash Senegal. The odds are long. The path is narrow.
43. Uzbekistan – reality check
FIFA ranking: 50
Previous: 42 (down 1)
Uzbekistan started with promise against Colombia. Portugal and Ronaldo then tore that apart.
A 5-0 defeat, marked by naive defending and raw emotion – star man Abdukodir Khusanov left in tears – has shredded their goal difference and confidence in equal measure.
They were never expected to take much from their first two games, but now they must beat DR Congo and hope for help elsewhere. It feels a long way from that brave opening display.
The eliminated teams
44. Panama – proud, but punished
FIFA ranking: 34
Previous: 36 (down 8)
Panama are out with a game to spare, and they will replay the margins in their heads for a long time.
Two 1-0 defeats, to Ghana and Croatia, both decided late and both full of missed chances. They competed, they frustrated, but they never quite seized the moment.
45. Jordan – debut done, lessons learned
FIFA ranking: 63
Previous: 45 (no change)
Jordan’s first World Cup ends with two defeats, to Austria and Algeria.
They scored in both games, but never truly managed to stifle their opponents in the way other debutants have done, often on the back of extraordinary goalkeeping displays. Their tournament ends early, but not empty-handed.
46. Haiti – bottom of the table, not of the story
FIFA ranking: 83
Previous: 46 (no change)
Haiti were the first team eliminated, but they leave with credit.
Placed in one of the toughest groups, unable to play at home due to political unrest, they pushed Scotland hard and might feel aggrieved to leave that game with nothing. Against Brazil, the gap was always likely to be too wide; they conceded three before half-time, then held the second half 0-0.
They face Morocco next, still chasing a first-ever World Cup point. It would be a fitting reward for their effort.
47. Turkey – the eternal trap
FIFA ranking: 23
Previous: 47 (no change)
Turkey were everyone’s dark horses. Again. And again, they’ve bolted at the first fence.
With Kenan Yildiz, Arda Guler and Hakan Calhanoglu, and an experienced defence led by Ferdi Kadioglu, they looked too talented to fail. They are out after two games, without a goal, having taken 62 shots.
Unlucky? Maybe. But if you can’t score against a Paraguay side playing half a match with 10 men, you can’t complain about fate.
48. Tunisia – worst of the worst margins
FIFA ranking: 45
Previous: 48 (no change)
Tunisia’s World Cup has been brutal.
A 5-1 hammering by Sweden cost Sabri Lamouchi his job. Herve Renard arrived and watched a 4-0 defeat to Japan. Two games, nine goals conceded, minus-eight goal difference – the worst record of any team here.
They are gone early, and emphatically. The only question now is how long it takes to rebuild from this.
