France remain the team to beat as the 2026 FIFA World Cup reaches the round of 16, but the race behind them is tightening fast. ESPN FC’s panel of 20 reporters still gave Les Bleus the No. 1 spot, with Spain, Argentina and Brazil all pressing for the top tier.
The latest collective ranking captures a tournament that has already mixed heavyweight dominance with major scares. Superstars have delivered, underdogs have pushed the favorites to the edge, and all three co-hosts — the U.S., Mexico and Canada — are still alive.
France still own the edge
France received 18 of 20 first-place votes after cruising through the group stage and beating Sweden 3-0 in the round of 32. Kylian Mbappé has scored six goals in 2026, while Michael Olise has emerged as the World Cup’s key creator with two more assists against Sweden.
The defense has also stayed calm, and France have looked far too balanced for most of the field. If they beat Paraguay in Philadelphia, their path could continue through Canada or Morocco and then one of Portugal, Spain, the USA or Belgium.
| Rank | Team | Change | Round of 16 Opponent |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | France | No change | Paraguay |
| 2 | Spain | Up 1 | Portugal |
| 3 | Argentina | Down 1 | Egypt |
| 4 | Brazil | Up 1 | Norway |
| 5 | England | Down 1 | Mexico |
| 6 | Morocco | Up 2 | Canada |
| 7 | Portugal | Up 2 | Spain |
| 8 | Colombia | Up 1 | Switzerland |
| 9 | Norway | Up 2 | Brazil |
| 10 | Mexico | Up 3 | England |
| 11 | USA | Up 1 | Belgium |
| 12 | Belgium | Up 3 | USA |
| 13 | Switzerland | New | Colombia |
| 14 | Egypt | New | Argentina |
| 15 | Canada | New | Morocco |
| 16 | Paraguay | New | France |
Spain, Argentina and Brazil remain close
Spain climbed to No. 2 after another convincing win, this time a 3-0 victory over Austria that kept them unbeaten and without a goal conceded in the tournament. Even with Lamine Yamal still not at full rhythm, Spain look increasingly sharp before their meeting with Portugal in Dallas.
Argentina dropped one place after surviving a huge scare against Cape Verde, winning 3-2 after extra time when Diney Borges scored an 111th-minute own goal. Lionel Messi still leads the Golden Boot race with seven goals, but the match showed that the defending champions are no longer gliding through every test.
Brazil moved up to No. 4 after beating Japan 2-1, a result that followed a steady group stage and showed more resilience from Carlo Ancelotti’s team. Their next challenge is Norway, whose Erling Haaland-led attack has already made this tournament feel dangerous for anyone.
England, Mexico and the chase group
England slipped to No. 5 despite staying alive, because their performances have been uneven and heavy on strain. Harry Kane has carried much of the scoring load, while the team now faces Mexico in a tough setting at the Azteca.
Mexico continued their own strong run by beating Ecuador 2-0 and remain one of only two teams, along with Spain, yet to concede a goal. Morocco also climbed, thanks to a 3-2 penalty shootout win over the Netherlands after extra time, and their reward is Canada in Houston.
Portugal, Colombia and Norway round out the upper half of the field, with Portugal’s 94th-minute winner against Croatia keeping them moving, Colombia’s steady wins making them look composed, and Norway leaning on Haaland’s decisive moments. The United States sits 11th after a convincing run under Mauricio Pochettino, and Belgium rose after its dramatic extra-time escape against Senegal.
The bottom four still matter
Switzerland, Egypt, Canada and Paraguay make up the new arrivals at the bottom of the ranking, but all four are still very much part of the knockout picture. That is the clearest sign of how open this World Cup remains, even with the field cut to 16.
ESPN noted that voting was completed before the round of 16 began, with Canada facing Morocco on Saturday. The next Power Rankings will come after the final on July 19 and will look ahead to the next tournament.
