World Cup 2026 Power Rankings: Messi Guides Argentina to Lead as Spain and Portugal Stumble with Draws

The initial round of group-stage matches at the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Mexico, and Canada has already produced plenty of excitement. Despite the expanded format diluting marquee matchups early on, most of the top names have made their mark — except for a few notable exceptions.

Hosts Mexico and the USA started strong with wins, while Brazil was held to a draw by Morocco. Germany overwhelmed Curacao, and the Netherlands shared points with Japan in an entertaining contest. Surprisingly, Cape Verde and DR Congo managed to hold Spain and Portugal to draws respectively, shaking up expectations.

Individual stars like Kylian Mbappe, Erling Haaland, and Harry Kane all scored braces, but Lionel Messi stole the spotlight again with a hat-trick for defending champions Argentina. Cristiano Ronaldo, contrastingly, had a forgettable opener.

With the first round done and much more to come, here is GOAL’s ranking of the 48 teams’ prospects in this tournament across North America.

Lower Rankings

• Curacao (48): The smallest nation ever at the World Cup suffered a heavy 7-0 loss against Germany. Still, Livano Comenencia’s equalizer moment remains memorable.
• Panama (47): A late defeat to Ghana after missed chances likely ended their hopes early. Upcoming games against Croatia and England look daunting.
• Iraq (46): Returning after 40 years, they briefly leveled against Norway before falling 4-1. Next up is France.
• Tunisia (45): A crushing 5-1 loss to Sweden led to coach Sabri Lamouchi's dismissal, replaced by Herve Renard.
• Haiti (44): Narrow defeat to Scotland, with tougher matches against Brazil and Morocco ahead.
• Jordan (43): Debutants fought well but lost to Austria. They still have chances against Algeria and Argentina.
• South Africa (42): Outplayed by Mexico, two second-half red cards weaken an already limited squad.
• Uzbekistan (41): Made history with their first World Cup goal but need a big win over DR Congo next, followed by Portugal.
• Paraguay (40): An early own goal hurt them badly in a 4-1 loss to the USA. Matches versus Turkiye and Australia remain challenging.

Mid-Tier Teams

• New Zealand (39): A 2-2 draw with Iran was close to a first World Cup win, but knockout hopes remain fragile with Egypt next.
• Qatar (38): Improved performance from 2022, earning a late 1-1 draw with Switzerland, raising hopes for advancement.
• Algeria (37): Suffered a 3-0 defeat to Argentina, now must beat Jordan to keep hopes alive.
• Cape Verde (36): Held Spain to a goalless draw in their World Cup debut, surprising many and opening up chances for last-32 qualification.
• Saudi Arabia (35): Took an early lead against Uruguay but settled for a draw; a final group win over Cape Verde could see them through.
• Iran (34): A resilient 2-2 draw with New Zealand amidst difficult circumstances, though progress looks tough with Belgium and Egypt ahead.
• Czechia (33): Lost 2-1 to South Korea and face a hard road to qualify given their performances.
• DR Congo (32): Earned a draw against Portugal and will rely on upcoming matches with Colombia and Uzbekistan to advance.
• Bosnia and Herzegovina (31): Drew with co-host Canada and remain hopeful in a balanced Group B.
• Canada (30): Despite dropping points in their opener, home advantage could play a key role in progressing.
• Ghana (29): Late win over Panama boosts chances, but tougher fixtures against England and Croatia loom.
• Scotland (28): Celebrated a first World Cup win since 1990 but still require points from remaining matches to secure progression.
• Senegal (27): Lost 3-1 to France after a strong first half, will need improvements to stay in the hunt.
• Turkiye (26): Defeated by Australia and must win their next games to avoid early exit.
• Ecuador (25): Narrow loss to Ivory Coast leaves them needing a strong goal difference boost against Curacao.
• Australia (24): Surprised with a 2-0 victory over Turkiye and look positioned well for knockout qualification.
• South Korea (23): Came from behind to beat Czechia and face tough tests with Mexico and South Africa left.
• Uruguay (22): Mixed showing in a 1-1 draw with Saudi Arabia but still dangerous when firing.
• Egypt (21): Disappointed not to win against Belgium but expected to capitalize on remaining group matches.
• Croatia (20): Suffered a 4-2 loss to England, requiring a quick recovery to maintain title ambitions.
• Austria (19): Won their opener and are hopeful despite injury setbacks.
• Sweden (18): Started strong with a 5-1 win over Tunisia, signaling intent despite their unconventional qualification route.
• Switzerland (17): Underwhelming draw with Qatar raises questions about their knockout potential.
• Ivory Coast (16): Late winner against Ecuador puts them in a good position to advance.
• Colombia (15): Solid start with a win over Uzbekistan, preparing for tough matches ahead.
• Mexico (14): Comfortable win over South Africa and looking to leverage home support.
• United States (13): Dominant 4-1 victory over Paraguay sets a confident tone for co-hosts.
• Belgium (12): Struggled to a draw with Egypt, facing doubts about their tournament ceiling.
• Japan (11): Resilient 2-2 draw with Netherlands shows potential despite injuries.

Top Performers

• Netherlands (10): Dropped points after twice leading against Japan, must improve sharply.
• Norway (9): Erling Haaland’s brace helped them dominate Iraq; poised for a strong tournament run.
• Morocco (8): After historic semi-final run in 2022, showed promise with a solid draw against Brazil.
• Brazil (7): Relied on Vinicius Jr to salvage a point versus Morocco; improvements needed.
• Portugal (6): Dull draw with DR Congo reignites debates about Ronaldo’s impact and the team’s attacking struggles.
• Germany (5): Thrashing of Curacao showcased attacking firepower, boosting confidence.
• Spain (4): Disappointing 0-0 draw with Cape Verde exposed issues with scoring and chance creation.
• England (3): Powerful second-half display saw them beat Croatia convincingly, highlighting attacking strength.
• France (2): Slow start gave way to a commanding 3-1 win over Senegal, with Mbappe showing his class.
• Argentina (1): Lionel Messi’s hat-trick inspired a dominant win over Algeria, putting the defending champions firmly on top.