World Cup 2026 power rankings: Assessing each nation's chances of lifting the biggest prize in football

After 4 weeks of action, 40 countries person seen their 2026 World Cup dreams travel to an end, meaning that lone 8 teams inactive person a accidental of lifting football's biggest prize connected July 19.

Some European and South American giants person already fallen, including Netherlands, Portugal, Brazil and Germany, with the second amazingly defeated by a plucky Paraguay broadside successful the past 32 connected June 29.

Here, Sports Mole provides a powerfulness ranking of the teams near successful the hunt for the iconic World Cup trophy.

WORLD CUP 2026 POWER RANKINGS

1: FRANCE

After netting a sensational 13 goals crossed their opening 4 matches of this World Cup, France squeezed past Paraguay successful the past 16 courtesy of a Kylian Mbappe penalty, mounting up a quarter-final clash against Morocco.

Whilst a midfield pivot of Adrien Rabiot and Kouadio Kone could beryllium overpowered by their counterparts from Spain and England aboriginal successful the tournament, Les Bleus' sheer attacking prowess means that they stay astatine the apical of the powerfulness rankings.

2: SPAIN

Following an embarrassing opening-round stalemate with World Cup minnows Cape Verde, Euro 2024 champions Spain are increasing into the competition, winning each of their past 4 matches without conceding a goal.

Luis de la Fuente sweetheart Unai Simon is yet to beryllium beaten successful the La Roja nett up of a favourable-looking quarter-final against Belgium, with Lamine Yamal waiting to unleash  his world-beating talents successful the knockout stages.

3: ARGENTINA

For each of the speech of an ageing squad and talisman successful Lionel Messi, Argentina stay a battle-hardened clump with a superior accidental of retaining the World Cup aft their awesome 2022 triumph.

Lionel Scaloni's broadside person been ran adjacent by some Cape Verde and Egypt successful the knockout stages but volition not request to look an planetary powerhouse until astatine slightest the semi-finals, with Switzerland the opponents successful the past eight.

4: ENGLAND 

After a three-match radical signifier and round-of-32 scare versus DR Congo which raised much questions than answers, England rallied impressively to conquer the Azteca Stadium, beating Mexico 3-2 successful the past 16.

Whilst the Three Lions are not the implicit footballing broadside that galore that hoped for nether the tutelage Thomas Tuchel, superstars Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane person the quality to triumph matches astatine the driblet of a chapeau for their trophy-starved nation.

5: NORWAY

Fresh from knocking five-time winners Brazil retired of the competition, Norway are into the quarter-finals of the World Cup successful their archetypal quality astatine the tourney since the crook of the century.

This contention has been a playground for football's attacking icons, and the Scandinavians person arguably the champion striker successful the crippled successful the signifier of Erling Haaland, who bagged a brace past clip retired to decision the Selecao.

6: MOROCCO

Current Africa Cup of Nations holders and 2022 World Cup semi-finalists, Morocco are rapidly establishing themselves arsenic a large subordinate connected the planetary country and person looked awesome truthful acold this summer.

However, the Atlas Lions look a hard way to the New Jersey last aft breezing past co-hosts Canada successful the past 16, facing favourites France successful the quarter-finals earlier a imaginable final-four showdown with Spain.

7: BELGIUM

For ample patches of this World Cup truthful far, Belgium person appeared a ammunition of their erstwhile self, particularly during the last-32 clash against Senegal connected July 1, erstwhile the Red Devils were 2 goals down with lone 5 minutes of mean clip remaining.

Rudi Garcia's broadside completed a sensational comeback successful that clash and past battered the United States connected their ain patch, helped by the caput coach's braveness to driblet high-profile players Jeremy Doku and Kevin de Bruyne.

8: SWITZERLAND

Whilst not the lowest-ranked broadside near successful the competition, Switzerland are the wide underdogs to assertion their first-ever World Cup rubric from this stage, with the Europeans hardly convincing successful their last-16 occurrence implicit Colombia.

Murat Yakin's broadside are yet to beryllium decently tested astatine this tourney aft topping Group B up of Canada, Qatar and Bosnia-Herzegovina, earlier knockout wins implicit Algeria and Los Cafeteros.