World Cup Roundup: Heavyweights Shine Amidst Chaos
Cristiano Ronaldo finally crashed the World Cup party with a ruthless double. Portugal smashed Uzbekistan 5-0. England, on the other hand, trudged through 90 lifeless minutes against Ghana and never looked like scoring.
On day 13, the scorelines were wild. The rankings? Barely budged.
At the top end, the giants are dug in. It’s going to take something seismic now to move them.
1. France – the standard-setters
FIFA ranking: 3
France look like a team that has solved the puzzle early. Since the second half of their opener against Senegal, Michael Olise has been locked into the No 10 role and keeps bending games to his will. Two more assists in a 3-0 win over Iraq, on top of his game-changing cameo in the first match, underline it.
A storm delay in Philadelphia only seemed to sharpen Kylian Mbappe. He scored twice for the second game running as France strolled into the knockouts. Norway await on Friday to decide who tops the group.
Didier Deschamps will miss that match after the death of his mother, but is expected back for the business end. France will likely still be there waiting for him.
2. Argentina – Messi’s tournament, again
FIFA ranking: 1
Lionel Messi is 38 and still bending World Cups to his will. He has scored all five of Argentina’s goals so far, across two wins, and his double against Austria made him the World Cup’s all-time leading scorer.
Behind him, the defence has stitched together back-to-back clean sheets, though Cristian Romero’s knee injury and substitution against Austria is an obvious worry.
Argentina could use another forward catching fire. Right now, though, it looks like Messi is perfectly happy to carry the weight himself.
3. Germany – finally out of the group
FIFA ranking: 10
The 7-1 demolition of Curacao was eye-catching, but Germany’s players will cherish the 2-1 comeback against Ivory Coast more. That felt like a statement.
Trailing, they turned to Deniz Undav from the bench. He answered with two late goals, the winner arriving from a sharp turn and finish after a precise ball from Felix Nmecha in added time.
Top of Group E. Into the knockouts for the first time since they won the thing in 2014. Julian Nagelsmann’s side have something they’ve lacked for a decade: momentum.
4. Spain – anger channelled, questions answered
FIFA ranking: 2
Spain reacted to the embarrassment of drawing with Cape Verde by tearing Saudi Arabia apart, 4-0, in one of the most one-sided games of the tournament.
Twenty-two shots. 2.85 xG. It could have been ugly. Lamine Yamal scored 10 minutes into his first World Cup start and banked 45 minutes. Mikel Oyarzabal, anonymous for half an hour against Cape Verde, scored twice.
Job done. Beat Uruguay on Friday and Group H belongs to them.
5. England – back to type
FIFA ranking: 4
The swagger from the 4-2 win over Croatia evaporated in Dortmund air. England laboured to a 0-0 draw with Ghana, a performance as flat as the scoreline.
They created little, moved the ball slowly and looked more like the side that has frustrated a nation for years than the one that had briefly excited it. The “It’s coming home” chorus has been put on pause.
Beat Panama in the final group game and they still win the group. But the old doubts have crept back in.
6. Netherlands – a warning shot
FIFA ranking: 8
Sweden were supposed to be awkward. The Netherlands ripped them apart.
Brian Brobbey muscled his way into the XI and through Sweden’s defence, dovetailing sharply with Cody Gakpo and Crysencio Summerville, who both scored in a heavy win that felt like a marker.
With Tunisia up next, they should finish top of a group that looked tricky when the draw was made and tame on the pitch.
7. Brazil – a step towards themselves
FIFA ranking: 6
Brazil looked strangely subdued in their opener. Against Haiti, they found a rhythm.
A 3-0 win, comfortable and controlled, restored a little of the old authority. Matheus Cunha, starting instead of Igor Thiago, gave their fluid attack a more natural focal point.
Carlo Ancelotti’s side still haven’t been truly tested. Scotland, next in Group C, will tell us more about whether this is a team waking up or just beating up on weaker opposition.
8. Morocco – weight of expectation, steady hands
FIFA ranking: 7
Back home, the expectations are enormous after a semi-final run in 2022 and an AFCON title. Morocco look like they can carry it.
A draw with Brazil, a win over Scotland, and both goals finished beautifully by Ismael Saibari. Group C is in their hands.
A big win over Haiti might be needed to top the group, depending on Brazil’s result against Scotland. The priority, though, is simple: get through.
9. United States – belief building
FIFA ranking: 17
When people start asking if the U.S. can win the World Cup, you know the mood is good, even if the question is premature.
Mauricio Pochettino’s side are fun. Positive, adventurous, rotating a cast of attacking players with real bite. They hammered Paraguay 4-1, then beat Australia 2-0 without needing Christian Pulisic.
Already confirmed as group winners, Pochettino can rest his star man against Turkey and start mapping a route deep into the tournament. The country can feel the buzz.
10. Norway – the dark horses with teeth
FIFA ranking: 31
Norway were flagged as dark horses. They are playing like it.
A 3-2 win over Senegal pushed them into the knockouts and exposed the African champions’ makeshift defence. Norway created chance after chance, forcing errors and running them ragged.
They have conceded too many, but seven goals in two matches tells you where their strength lies. Erling Haaland, with another brace, looks unstoppable. Defensively flawed, offensively terrifying – not a team anyone will enjoy drawing.
11. Colombia – imperfect but efficient
FIFA ranking: 14
Colombia have not sparkled, but they have been effective. Two games, two wins, 100 per cent record, knockouts secured.
They wobbled against Uzbekistan, then made life harder than necessary in a tight 1-0 win over DR Congo. Still, job one is done, and they did it with a game to spare.
That eases the tension ahead of a mouthwatering clash with Portugal. A draw will be enough to top the group. They will want more.
12. Mexico – quiet control, huge advantage
FIFA ranking: 13
Mexico became the first side to reach the knockout phase. A 1-0 win over South Korea sealed qualification and top spot in Group A.
They haven’t dazzled – South Africa and South Korea were both subdued contests – but two wins, two clean sheets, and a huge logistical bonus: their last-32 and potential last-16 ties will both be in Mexico City.
It’s not spectacular, but it is smart, controlled tournament football from the co-hosts.
13. Portugal – Ronaldo answers, questions remain
FIFA ranking: 5
Portugal needed a response after their flat opener against DR Congo. They produced a 5-0 demolition of Uzbekistan, with Ronaldo at the centre of everything.
His two goals were historic – he is now the first man to score in six different World Cups – and timely, damping down the noise around his place in the side.
But context matters. Uzbekistan’s defence looked overawed and raw. The real examination comes next, against Colombia. That will tell us whether Portugal are contenders or just bullies of the vulnerable.
14. Croatia – clinging to the old magic
FIFA ranking: 11
Croatia survived. That’s what they do.
Panama pushed them, created problems, and yet the game ended 1-0 to Croatia thanks to substitute Ante Budimir’s close-range finish.
The golden-oldie generation has not convinced across two matches, but this is a team that has reached a final and a semi-final in the last two World Cups. They specialise in hanging on when others fade. Writing them off has never been a good idea.
15. Egypt – finally a World Cup win
FIFA ranking: 29
Egypt had to sweat. New Zealand led, fought, and forced them to dig.
Then Mohamed Salah took over. A goal, an assist, and Egypt finally had their first ever World Cup win.
They have not yet shown evidence they can go deep, but beat Iran on Friday and they top Group G and face a third-placed side in the round of 32. That is a platform any coach would take.
16. Japan – speed, structure, statement
FIFA ranking: 18
Japan obliterated Tunisia 4-0, a scoreline that carried history with it. It was their biggest-ever World Cup win, and they became the first Asian team to score four in a single World Cup match.
Ayase Ueda scored twice as Japan pressed, harried and attacked with pace and clarity. Tunisia are in disarray, so perspective is needed, but across two games Japan have shown a clear identity: intensity, structure, and a front line that smells weakness.
Progression is almost guaranteed. The ceiling looks higher than that.
17. South Korea – running out of rope
FIFA ranking: 22
South Korea’s performance against Mexico was flat, bordering on alarming.
They barely created anything in Guadalajara, and Son Heung-min was substituted before the hour. Now they go into a final group game against South Africa needing a win and a reaction.
The talent is there. The margin for error is not.
18. Switzerland – a new star, a late surge
FIFA ranking: 19
Switzerland left it late against Bosnia and Herzegovina, but when they arrived, they did so in style.
Johan Manzambi, at 20 years and 247 days, came off the bench and became the youngest player ever to score a World Cup double as a substitute, driving a 4-1 win that changed the mood of their campaign.
Canada are next. A draw sends Switzerland through, a win gives them top spot. With Manzambi emerging, they suddenly look more dangerous.
19. Canada – arrival in a blaze of goals
FIFA ranking: 30
Canada did not just win their first World Cup match. They exploded.
Qatar were dismantled 6-0 in Vancouver as Jesse Marsch’s side delivered the aggressive, front-foot football he promised. Jonathan David hit a hat-trick, Qatar imploded with two red cards, and the co-hosts finally had their moment on this stage.
Ismael Kone’s injury is a blow, but a draw with Switzerland will still take them into the knockouts. They have announced themselves.
20. Ghana – organisation and edge
FIFA ranking: 73
Ghana’s World Cup could hardly be going better.
A late winner against Panama, then a disciplined, organised 0-0 against England in which they might have snatched more on the break. They should have had a penalty for Ezri Konsa’s foul on Prince Kwabena Adu, but VAR looked elsewhere.
Four points from two games all but guarantees progress. Few teams will relish facing them.
21. Belgium – reputation versus reality
FIFA ranking: 9
Belgium’s numbers against Iran looked fine: 23 shots, 1.82 xG, 70 per cent possession. The result did not.
They failed to win again, just as they did against Egypt. Kevin De Bruyne’s brilliance and Romelu Lukaku’s record mean little if the team around them looks fractured.
They resemble half a side, and the FIFA ranking of nine feels like a relic. Beat New Zealand on Friday and they may still progress, but their ceiling looks far lower than it once did. They badly need Jeremy Doku fit and firing.
22. Ivory Coast – close, but not enough
FIFA ranking: 33
Ivory Coast went toe-to-toe with Germany and led for more than half an hour. That in itself says something.
Yan Diomande and Amad have given full-backs nightmares, stretching games and offering constant threat. But they could not hold out for what would have been a statement win.
Even so, the forecast model gives them a 95 per cent chance of reaching the knockouts for the first time. They have proved they belong at this level.
23. Uruguay – wasteful and fragile
FIFA ranking: 16
Two games, 44 shots, 3.88 xG, three goals, two points. That is Uruguay’s story so far.
They have played on the front foot, created chances and still found ways not to win. Cape Verde’s 40-yard free kick sneaking through a flimsy two-man wall summed up their concentration issues.
Level on qualifying points with Brazil and Colombia coming into the tournament, they looked a threat. Now they need a result against Spain just to survive. Marcelo Bielsa did not sketch it out like this.
24. Algeria – dangerous from dead balls
FIFA ranking: 28
Algeria turned a deficit against Jordan into a 2-1 win, both goals coming from corners. For a side that may have to live off scraps against stronger teams, that is a valuable weapon.
Riyad Mahrez’s return to the starting XI brought craft and control in open play, too.
Their showdown with Austria will decide who takes second. With a minus-two goal difference, they might yet need to chase goals.
25. Sweden – flat-track bullies exposed
FIFA ranking: 38
Sweden hammered Tunisia 5-1, then suffered the same fate against the Netherlands.
It laid out their level. With Viktor Gyokeres and Alexander Isak, they can tear apart weaker sides, but against a top-tier opponent they looked a step slow and defensively fragile.
26. Senegal – goals scored, goals leaked
FIFA ranking: 15
Senegal started brightly against France, then lost their grip. Since that opening half, they have shipped six goals in two games.
Ismaila Sarr’s double against Norway and Ibrahim Mbaye’s goal against France show they can hurt elite sides. The problem is at the other end, where defensive errors and injuries – Edouard Mendy went off after an hour against Norway – have cost them.
They now need a big win over Iraq and a favourable goal difference swing to sneak through as one of the best third-placed teams. The slide down these rankings reflects the risk of an early exit.
27. Australia – momentum squandered
FIFA ranking: 27
Australia’s win over Turkey raised hopes. The defeat to the U.S. checked them sharply.
Tony Popovic’s decision to leave out both scorers from the Turkey game, Nestory Irankunda and Connor Metcalfe, robbed them of pace and incision on the break. The U.S. punished that passivity, especially in the first half.
Now it comes down to Paraguay for second place. Australia must rediscover the aggression that got them here.
28. Austria – stuck in the middle
FIFA ranking: 25
Ralf Rangnick shuffled his pack against Argentina, bringing in Kevin Danso at the back and Paul Wanner in midfield.
The tweaks did not solve the fundamental issue: this is a side with quality but no obvious superpower. The forwards are not prolific, the defence not watertight – as conceding to Jordan underlined.
Their meeting with Algeria will decide who advances. Austria need to show something they have not yet revealed: a way to truly hurt better teams.
29. Scotland – calculators at the ready
FIFA ranking: 41
Scotland’s World Cup has turned into an exercise in arithmetic.
They edged Haiti 1-0 without convincing, then lost by the same score to Morocco after a spirited second-half display. Now they are trying to work out how much damage Brazil can do while still allowing them to sneak through as one of the best third-placed sides.
Any positive result against the five-time world champions sends them into the knockouts for the first time. That prize should sharpen minds.
30. Iran – so close, so fragile
FIFA ranking: 20
Iran walked away from the Belgium game with a point and a sense of what might have been.
They carved out good chances, saw a clever free-kick routine ruled out for a tight offside and could not exploit a late red card. Combined with the opening draw against New Zealand, they are now clinging to their hopes.
Beat Egypt, and hope the coasting group leaders ease off. Anything less, and the campaign ends with regrets rather than scalps.
31. Ecuador – unbeaten streak shattered
FIFA ranking: 24
Nineteen matches. Two years. No defeats. Ecuador arrived with one of the longest unbeaten runs in international football.
It has unravelled quickly. A loss to Ivory Coast, a draw with Curacao, and a staggering 4.08 xG without a single goal to show for it. This is not just bad luck; it is poor finishing.
Enner Valencia, 36 now, has not been able to repeat his Qatar 2022 heroics. With Germany up next and Nagelsmann’s side already through, Ecuador must hope for heavy rotation – and finally, some composure in front of goal.
32. Paraguay – grit and a warning shot
FIFA ranking: 40
Paraguay finally looked like the side many tipped as a solid, balanced threat.
They blitzed Turkey with a long-range rocket from Matias Galarza after just two minutes, then survived a storm of pressure after Miguel Almiron became the first player sent off at a World Cup for covering his mouth while speaking to an opponent.
They held on for 1-0. Now they face Australia without their suspended talisman, chasing second place with a defence that suddenly looks a lot more assured.
33. Cape Verde – the story of the tournament
FIFA ranking: 67
Cape Verde have already written themselves into World Cup folklore.
They stunned Spain with a draw, then backed it up with a 2-2 thriller against Uruguay, featuring a 40-yard free kick and a moment of magic from Helio Varela off the bench.
Two former world champions, two games, no defeats. Beat Saudi Arabia and they become perhaps the most unlikely knockout team in tournament history. Even a draw might be enough. Imagine that.
34. Saudi Arabia – from dream to reality
FIFA ranking: 60
The high of drawing with Uruguay vanished under Spain’s 4-0 onslaught.
It could have been worse. Spain dominated almost every metric and every blade of grass. Yet Saudi Arabia’s path is still clear: beat Cape Verde, finish on four points, and likely land at least third in Group H.
They would have taken that scenario before a ball was kicked.
35. New Zealand – stubborn as ever
FIFA ranking: 85
New Zealand’s World Cup identity has not changed in 16 years. Hard to beat, awkward, relentlessly honest.
They drew all three games in 2010. This time, they finally lost – 3-1 to Egypt – but only after taking the lead through Finn Surman.
Beat a fading Belgium on Saturday and they will almost certainly reach the knockouts for the first time. For a nation of their size, that would be seismic.
36. Czech Republic – fast start, slow fade
FIFA ranking: 43
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 did not finish the job. South Africa grew, equalised late, and the 1-1 draw leaves both sides in trouble.
To reach the knockouts, the Czechs must now beat co-hosts Mexico in Mexico City. That is as tall an order as it sounds.
37. Bosnia and Herzegovina – one last shot
FIFA ranking: 64
Bosnia and Herzegovina led Switzerland deep into the game, then collapsed late to lose 4-1.
The equation is now brutal and simple: beat Qatar in Seattle and they are almost certainly through on four points. Lose, and they go home.
38. DR Congo – punching up, refusing to bow
FIFA ranking: 46
DR Congo have faced star-studded opposition and refused to be overawed.
They held Portugal to a 1-1 draw, then pushed Colombia in a narrow 1-0 defeat. Defensively, they look organised; on the break, Yoane Wissa is a constant menace.
Beat Uzbekistan and four points should be enough to carry them through. They have earned the right to believe.
39. Qatar – humiliation, yet hope
FIFA ranking: 56
Canada tore Qatar apart. Six conceded, two men sent off, a performance that left little to salvage.
And yet, the path is still there. Beat Bosnia and Herzegovina and they, too, are likely through on four points. For a side that just suffered one of the heaviest defeats of the tournament, that is a remarkable second chance.
40. Curacao – saved by a 37-year-old wall
FIFA ranking: 82
Eloy Room stepped into the World Cup and produced one of its great goalkeeping displays.
Fifteen saves against Ecuador preserved a 0-0 draw and kept Curacao’s dream alive. Win against Ivory Coast and they have a shot at the knockouts.
For a debut nation, that is an astonishing position to be in.
41. South Africa – spirit without reward
FIFA ranking: 61
South Africa improved. They fought back against the Czech Republic, earned a late draw, and showed they belong at this level.
It might not be enough. They now have to beat South Korea to reach the knockouts. Anything else, and the fight ends in the group.
42. Iraq – outgunned, outclassed
FIFA ranking: 57
Iraq have run into two of the most ruthless forwards in world football: Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe. They have suffered accordingly.
Captain Aymen Hussein, who scored against Norway, limped off after 26 minutes in the defeat to France, making a tough task even harder.
To have any chance of sneaking through as a third-placed side, they must thrash Senegal. That feels a distant prospect.
43. Uzbekistan – reality check
FIFA ranking: 50
Uzbekistan impressed in patches against Colombia. Portugal tore that confidence to shreds.
Ronaldo and company ran riot in a 5-0 defeat that left their young star Abdukodir Khusanov in tears at full-time. The defending was naive, the occasion overwhelming.
They were not expected to take much from Colombia or Portugal, but the damage to their goal difference and belief is severe. Now they must beat DR Congo and pray. It feels like a mountain.
The eliminated
44. Panama – regrets and what-ifs
FIFA ranking: 34
Panama are out, and it stings.
Two 1-0 defeats, to Ghana and Croatia, both decided late and both filled with missed chances and near-misses. They leave with pride, but also the nagging sense that this World Cup could have been very different.
45. Jordan – lessons from a first taste
FIFA ranking: 63
Jordan’s debut ended with two defeats, to Austria and Algeria.
They scored in both games, showed flashes of attacking promise, but could not shut games down the way other debutants have, often thanks to heroic goalkeeping. Their tournament ends with experience banked and a clear idea of the level required.
46. Haiti – out, but not disgraced
FIFA ranking: 83
Haiti were the first team eliminated, but they do not deserve the wooden spoon.
Drawn into one of the toughest groups, unable to play at home due to political turmoil, they pushed Scotland hard and might have taken something. Brazil was always going to be too much; they conceded three in the first half, then “drew” the second 0-0.
Their final game against Morocco offers one last target: a first World Cup point since 1974. That alone would be a triumph.
47. Turkey – the eternal trap
FIFA ranking: 23
Turkey did it again.
With Kenan Yildiz and Arda Guler in attack, with an experienced back line including Ferdi Kadioglu, with Hakan Calhanoglu pulling strings, they were tipped as dark horses in one of the softest groups.
They are out after two games. Sixty-two shots, zero goals. A 1-0 defeat to Paraguay, who played half the match with 10 men, summed it up. Call it bad luck if you like. But if you cannot score against that, you do not deserve any.
48. Tunisia – misery from start to finish
FIFA ranking: 45
Tunisia’s World Cup never got going.
A 5-1 thrashing by Sweden cost Sabri Lamouchi his job. Herve Renard arrived and watched Japan beat them 4-0. Two games, two heavy defeats, minus-eight goal difference – the worst record of any side here so far.
For the teams still alive, Tunisia’s fate is a warning. Lose your structure, lose your belief, and a World Cup can end before it has really begun.
