The FIFA World Cup is in full swing, and the rankings are shifting as teams battle it out for a spot in the knockout stages. Here's a breakdown of the top 10 teams after Day 19 of the tournament, along with some expert commentary and analysis.
- France (FIFA ranking: 2)
France outclassed Norway’s B-team, becoming one of just three sides to have won all their group games. With Michael Olise playing in the No 10 role, on three assists and counting, along with Dembele, Kylian Mbappe and Desire Doue, their attack has looked unstoppable. They remain top of our rankings — and The Athletic’s live projection tool forecasts a 21 per cent chance of them winning the World Cup, but first to get past Sweden in the round of 32.
- Argentina (FIFA ranking: 1)
Three convincing wins in three Group J matches took the holders comfortably through to the knockout stages. Lionel Messi is the tournament’s top scorer with six goals, and with similar personnel, this team has looked like the title winners of four years ago. They won’t complain about their place in the bracket, taking on Cape Verde in the round of 32, followed by Australia or Egypt in the round of 16.
- Brazil (FIFA ranking: 5)
Brazil made light work of Scotland and Haiti, but there were concerns over their performance in the draw with Morocco, leading some to believe Japan could be a banana skin in the round of 32. Carlo Ancelotti looked the calmest man in Houston, and it was his substitute, Gabriel Martinelli, who scored the added-time winner for Brazil. They matched Japan’s energy and had too much attacking impetus to be denied.
- Spain (FIFA ranking: 3)
After starting their tournament with a draw against Cape Verde, Spain collected back-to-back wins once Lamine Yamal returned to the starting XI against Saudi Arabia and Uruguay, topping the group. Their 4-0 win over Saudi Arabia was their most convincing, and against Uruguay they showed how they might frustrate sides in the knockouts, being so comfortable in possession after taking a lead.
- England (FIFA ranking: 4)
England got back to winning ways by beating Panama 2-0 to top Group L unbeaten. Their squad selection was moulded around key players Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham, who both scored in the final group game and enter the knockouts in good form. Reece James’ hamstring injury is the bad news, a hole in the starting line-up Thomas Tuchel will have to plug ahead of Wednesday’s round-of-32 match against DR Congo.
- Morocco (FIFA ranking: 6)
Morocco’s round-of-32 victory against the Netherlands shows their run to the Qatar 2022 semi-finals was no fluke. Manager Mohamed Ouahbi has nurtured the next generation, winning the 2025 Under-20 World Cup, and they can now consistently compete with the heavy hitters. Take the group stage, where they looked like the better team in a draw against Brazil.
- Mexico (FIFA ranking: 9)
One of only three teams to collect three wins from three in the group stage (the others being reigning champions Argentina and the beaten finalists France). Mexico scored six goals and kept three clean sheets, beating the Czech Republic 3-0 with a rotated side on Wednesday. Several Mexico players caught the eye, including 17-year-old midfielder Gilberto Mora and forward Julian Quinones, who has scored two goals.
- Colombia (FIFA ranking: 11)
A team of attacking talent and with willing runners aplenty, wins over Uzbekistan and DR Congo, though not entirely convincing, were enough to confirm progression for Colombia with a match to spare. A draw in their final game meant they topped Group K over Portugal, a sign of their quality. What looked to be Davison Sanchez’s big toe creeping into an offside position denied them a late win, too.
- Norway (FIFA ranking: 23)
Norway qualified with a game to spare after having no trouble scoring against Senegal and Iraq. Their fearsome Manchester City striker Erling Haaland scored four goals in his first two World Cup games before being rested against France. They were perhaps caught off guard that France fielded the majority of their stars in that meeting. Norway’s reserves didn’t stand much of a chance, losing 4-1. It highlights a concern for the team’s lack of strength in depth, though their starters were able to rest.
- United States (FIFA ranking: 15)
The loss of two top-10 ranked teams, Germany and the Netherlands, means the U.S. move into the top 10 of our rankings for the first time. The U.S. have been responsible for bringing great excitement to the tournament as one of the three co-hosts. Their positive and adventurous football has not been short of goals. But after rotating against Turkey, they lost some momentum, suffering a late 3-2 loss.
In my opinion, the U.S. team has been a breath of fresh air in this tournament, and their fans are full of confidence entering the knockouts. They will face Bosnia and Herzegovina in the next round, and I believe they have a good chance of reaching the last 16.
