Ranking All Eight Teams Left in the 2026 World Cup

Some teams defied all odds to reach the quarterfinal stage.

Norway downed five-time world champion Brazil. | Erick W. Rasco/ Sports Illustrated

Less than two weeks away from the 2026 World Cup final, only the cream of the crop remains.

40 nations have already passed through the exit door, including all three tournament co-hosts, and it took no shortage of sobbing, bitter words and pure miracles to whittle down to the final eight.

Soccer’s showpiece event will continue to be headlined by the sport’s greatest stars, including Argentina’s Lionel Messi, France’s Kylian Mbappé, England’s Harry Kane and Spain’s Lamine Yamal, and there is certainly more drama waiting in the wings.

Here, Sports Illustrated ranks the nations still standing.

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Ranking Criteria

• The goal: The first point of business is establishing which teams will likely make the deepest run this summer.
• Quality: The teams that have put together the most impressive performances will naturally climb highest.
• Fixtures: It would be a derelicition of duty to ignore the run to the final facing each side.

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8. Switzerland

Switzerland defeated Colombia on penalty kicks. | Maja Hitij/FIFA/Getty Images

Switzerland has been a side historically marred by mediocrity on soccer’s grandest stage, yet intent on rewriting that narrative this summer. After a scoreless draw through extra time, the Swiss defeated South American powerhouse Colombia in a penalty shootout to earn a place in the quarterfinals for the first time since 1954.

Argentina—principally Messi—will prove much harder to keep off the scoreboard, though.

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7. Belgium

Romelu Lukaku’s goal in stoppage time sealed the victory for Belgium. | Kohjiro Kinno/Sports Illustrated

The Red Devils may have pounded the U.S. men’s national team to a pulp, but that doesn’t entirely make up for the lackluster performance they had put together en route to that affair.

Floundering in draws with Egypt and Iran in the group stage before relying on a pure miracle to get past Senegal in the round of 32, Belgium is nothing if not inconsistent. It will not like its chances against a Spanish powerhouse come Friday.

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6. Norway

Erling Haaland (right) bagged a brace to send Norway to the quarterfinals. | Erick W. Rasco/Sports Illustrated

Reaching the quarterfinals after a 28-year tournament absence is already an incredible feat. Norway will feel content to take its final bow at any point now, especially considering star striker Erling Haaland thought his side only had a “very small” chance of beating five-time world champion Brazil in the round of 16.

Despite his overt pessimism, it was Haaland himself who secured passage to the last eight. Success against England entirely depends on how long Haaland’s tournament heroics can last. He is already at seven goals this summer and, fortunately for the Vikings, isn’t showing any sign of slowing down.

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5. Morocco

Morocco handled business in Houston. | Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

The Atlas Lions took care of business in the round of 16, thumping Canada, and should feel confident heading into the last eight, especially considering their World Cup history. They will be seeking a second-consecutive place in the tournament semifinals, but must first battle France, the same team that ended their dreams of making a historic World Cup final appearance in 2022 Qatar.

Anything less than perfection against a purring French side will spell defeat for Morocco.

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4. Argentina

Lionel Messi hasn’t taken off his superhero cape once this summer. | Patrick Smith/FIFA/Getty Images

There is no skin left on Argentina’s teeth. La Albiceleste, who had narrowly routed Cabo Verde in the round of 32, once again experienced a miracle in the round of 16. With 12 minutes left, the Argentinians held just a 0.6% chance of winning the match; however, they then scored three unanswered goals to walk away with victory at the final whistle.

Per usual, Messi played the hero. He assisted the title-holder’s first goal to surge momentum and then scored the equalizer. The team celebrated by tossing its 39-year-old talisman repeatedly into the air.

When will this team’s luck run out? Perhaps never, if Messi keeps performing this way.

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3. England

England’s triumph won’t be forgotten in a hurry. | Julian Finney/FIFA/Getty Images

England survived the thunderous Estadio Azteca, something very few teams can say, and it will give them confidence heading into the quarterfinal against Norway.

Nevertheless, the Three Lions will have their hands full. Center backs Ezri Konsa and Marc Guéhi struggled to contain Mexico’s Raúl Jiménez and Julián Quiñones all night. One can only imagine the havoc Haaland will wreak.

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2. Spain

Spain needed a late winner to beat Portugal. | Juan Luis Diaz/Quality Sport Images/Getty Images

Spain dashed Cristiano Ronaldo’s World Cup dreams with a late victory over Portugal and will like its chances of doing the same to Belgium.

La Roja is firing on all cylinders and has yet to concede a goal in North America this summer, but it will need a greater impact from its young X-factor Yamal to see the tournament through.

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1. France

Kylian Mbappé has now scored seven goals at the 2026 World Cup. | Erick W. Rasco/Sports Illustrated

There appears to be nothing strong enough to blow this French ship off course, destined to reach its third-consecutive World Cup final appearance.

Morocco should prove to be yet another surmountable storm.

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