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2026 World Cup Power Rankings: Spain, Argentina Favorites; Norway the Dark Horses
Brace yourselves, soccer fans—the 2026 World Cup is fast approaching.
Set to kick off on June 11, the game’s greatest global event is now just months away. Excitement has intensified since December’s group-stage draw, and with 42 of the 48 places in the expanded tournament already confirmed—six more to be settled via playoffs in March—the lineup is nearly complete.
For the nations already through, the countdown has truly begun. Coaches are finalizing squads, refining systems and scheduling final warm-up matches, all with one goal in mind: peaking when the spotlight shines brightest. On this stage, reputations mean little—every contender, powerhouse or outsider, has a chance to make history.
So who looks best placed to conquer North America? Here, Sports Illustrated unveils its 2026 World Cup Power Rankings, breaking down the 20 leading contenders based on qualifying form, momentum, squad strength and everything else in between.
20. Uruguay
Uruguay enjoyed a strong qualification campaign for the 2026 World Cup, comfortably securing automatic qualification level on points with Colombia, Brazil—whom they took four points from during qualifying—and Paraguay.
Led by coach Marcelo Bielsa, however, they have struggled in friendlies since, most notably suffering a 5-1 defeat to the USMNT in November.
La Celeste remain a solid side, but with some of their greatest-ever players—Luis Suárez, Edinson Cavani, and Diego Godín—retired from international duty since 2022, they face a period of transition.
19. Ivory Coast
Ivory Coast are back at the World Cup after missing the last two editions, securing their place with an outstanding qualifying campaign.
The 2023 Africa Cup of Nations winners went unbeaten in CAF Group F, impressively keeping a clean sheet in all 10 matches while winning eight.
Their rock-solid defense, anchored by young stars Ousmane Diomandé, Odilon Kossounou and Guéla Doué, forms a back line that will be tough to breach on the world stage. Up front, RB Leipzig’s Yan Diomandé has emerged as the team’s standout attacking threat, capable of turning games in the Elephants’ favor.
18. Switzerland
Switzerland always seem to show up at the World Cup.
In four of the last five tournaments, they’ve reached the Round of 16—often without a truly elite squad on paper. A blend of scattered individual quality and a strong collective identity has consistently been enough to carry them through the group stage.
There’s little reason to think this summer will be any different. Their qualifying campaign was solid rather than spectacular, but effective all the same. Drawn into a relatively manageable group with Qatar, Canada, and one yet-to-be-determined opponent, the path to the knockouts is there.
With experienced leaders such as Manuel Akanji, Granit Xhaka, and Breel Embolo forming the spine of the team, Switzerland once again look well equipped for another steady run. However, they’ll be without longtime talisman Xherdan Shaqiri, who stepped away from international duty in 2024—a notable absence for a side that has often relied on his big-game moments.
17. Japan
Japan absolutely cruised through qualifying, winning 13 of 16 matches, losing just once, scoring 54 goals and conceding only three.
Understandably, hopes of a first-ever quarterfinal appearance in 2026 are high. Hajime Moriyasu’s side are well balanced, blending experience with youth, and boast genuine match-winning quality in players such as Real Sociedad’s Takefusa Kubo and Feyenoord striker Ayase Ueda, who has been in red-hot form this season.
Questions over squad depth persist, and a group featuring Portugal, Tunisia and the winner of UEFA play-off B will test them—but a friendly victory over Brazil in October showed they can compete with the very best.
16. Belgium
Sadly for Belgium, their golden generation—featuring the likes of Eden Hazard, Romelu Lukaku, Vincent Kompany, Kevin De Bruyne, Dries Mertens, Jan Vertonghen, Thibaut Courtois and Mousa Dembélé—came and went without ever truly fulfilling its immense promise.
Remnants of that era, most notably De Bruyne and Lukaku, remain and are still performing at a high level, but this is undeniably a period of transition for Rudi Garcia’s side.
There is talent, certainly—Jérémy Doku, Charles De Ketelaere, Malick Fofana and Zeno Debast are exciting young players to watch—but a relatively underwhelming qualifying campaign, despite going unbeaten, raised concerns. Three draws in eight matches, including two against North Macedonia, hardly suggested a team ready to improve on their disappointing group-stage exit in Qatar.
15. Ecuador
With Paris Saint-Germain’s Willian Pacho and Arsenal’s Piero Hincapié marshaling the back line and Chelsea’s Moisés Caicedo shielding the defense just ahead, Ecuador proved to be the toughest team to break down in CONMEBOL World Cup qualifying.
La Tri finished second in the overall table behind reigning champions Argentina, conceding only five goals across 18 matches and suffering just two defeats—the fewest of any side.
Their attack, however, was far less potent, scoring only 14 goals in qualifying. That lack of firepower has shown in recent friendlies and could pose a challenge this summer. Still, captain and all-time leading scorer Enner Valencia has a knack for stepping up on the big stage, meaning Ecuador can never be counted out entirely.
14. USMNT
As co-hosts, the USMNT did not need to qualify for the 2026 World Cup, making it slightly harder to gauge their true level.
Earlier in 2025, concern was growing. Defeats to Panama and Canada in the Concacaf Nations League were followed by friendly losses to Türkiye and Switzerland, leaving morale around the camp at a low ebb. Fans and pundits pointed to a lingering malaise among the players—a criticism that has trailed Mauricio Pochettino throughout his managerial career.
Over the past six months, however, the team appear to have finally clicked under the Argentine. They reached the Gold Cup final before falling to Mexico and have since impressed in friendlies, most notably thrashing Uruguay 5–1 in November.
Their inability to keep clean sheets, though—with a vibrant attack and midfield masking a shaky defense—could ultimately prove their undoing.
13. Colombia
If there is one thing Colombia will not lack at the 2026 World Cup, it is goals. They finished CONMEBOL qualifying as the second-highest scorers behind Argentina, underlining the sheer depth of their attacking options.
Luis Díaz is thriving at Bayern Munich, while Luis Suárez has been prolific for Sporting CP in Portugal. Jhon Córdoba continues to deliver in Russia, Cucho Hernández is flourishing at Real Betis and Jhon Durán—despite frequent club moves—remains a mercurial, unpredictable threat. The firepower is genuinely frightening.
Yet caution lingers. A six-match winless streak before sealing qualification against Bolivia exposed their inconsistency. Backing such a streaky side carries risk—but whatever their fate, Colombia promise entertainment.
12. Croatia
Croatia have been outstanding at recent World Cups, finishing runners-up in 2018 and third in 2022.
Replicating those feats in 2026, however, looks a far tougher task. Many of the key figures from those golden runs are now in their twilight years—most notably Luka Modrić, Ivan Perišić and Andrej Kramarić—while stalwarts such as Domagoj Vida, Šime Vrsaljko and Marcelo Brozović have moved on.
Aside from Joško Gvardiol, there are few emerging stars ready to shoulder the burden, leaving Zlatko Dalić’s side in a period of transition.
Still, Croatia stormed through qualifying unbeaten, albeit in a modest group, and possess enough experience and resilience to ensure they will not be pushovers—reaching at least the knockout rounds remains a realistic expectation.
11. Senegal
Senegal looked to be headed to the World Cup riding a wave of confidence after winning the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations—but the decision to overturn that result and award Morocco victory, pending an appeal, could have a damaging affect on morale.
Nevertheless, Senegal’s qualification was extremely impressive. The Lions of Teranga went unbeaten in all 10 games, scoring 22 goals while conceding just three.
Papa Thiaw’s squad blends experienced stars like Kalidou Koulibaly and Sadio Mané—still the team’s talisman—with emerging talent such as flying full-back El Hadji Malick Diouf and midfield general Habib Diarra.
After reaching the Round of 16 in 2022, Senegal will be aiming to go even further, though a World Cup group featuring Norway and France makes that a challenging task.
10. Brazil
Brazil are no longer the unstoppable force they once were.
Although the Seleção qualified relatively comfortably for the World Cup, they finished 10 points behind rivals Argentina and have been inconsistent in friendlies since, drawing with Tunisia and losing to Japan.
Their attack remains loaded with talent—from Estevão, Vinícius Júnior, Rodrygo, Raphinha, Matheus Cunha, João Pedro, Endrick and even a veteran Neymar—though it’s still unclear exactly who will make the trip. Across the rest of the pitch, however, the team lacks top-tier quality, particularly in defense.
Still, Brazil can never be counted out, especially with Carlo Ancelotti now at the helm.
9. Germany
Germany have crashed out in the group stage at each of the last two World Cups. Another early exit would be unthinkable—and fortunately for Die Mannschaft, it seems unlikely.
After a humiliating 2-0 loss to Slovakia in their opening World Cup qualifier, Julian Nagelsmann’s side quickly regrouped, winning all five of their remaining games and finishing the campaign with a resounding 6-0 revenge victory over the Slovaks.
They’ve landed in a relatively favorable group alongside Ivory Coast, Ecuador and debutants Curaçao, and with Florian Wirtz in red-hot form for Liverpool, Jamal Musiala back from a lengthy injury layoff and Nick Woltemade scoring consistently for his country, Germany should be targeting a spot in the knockout rounds at the very least.
8. Morocco
Morocco shocked the football world in 2022, reaching the World Cup semifinals after knocking Belgium out of the group stage and then dismantling Spain and Portugal on their way to the last four.
Since that historic run, they’ve only improved. The Atlas Lions dominated CAF Group E qualifying, winning all eight matches while conceding just two goals, and got to the final of the aforementioned 2025 AFCON.
Adding Brahim Díaz—who switched allegiances from Spain—gives Morocco a major boost. The Real Madrid star is already rapidly climbing the all-time scoring charts and could be decisive on the world stage—so long as he leaves the Panenka penalties at home.
7. Netherlands
Quarterfinalists in 2022 and unfortunate to fall to eventual champions Argentina, hopes are high for a Netherlands side that cruised through qualifying unbeaten and arrives in 2026 brimming with youthful promise.
At the back, Virgil van Dijk marshals a formidable unit alongside Micky van de Ven and Jurriën Timber, a trio capable of frustrating even the most potent attacks. In midfield, the depth is equally impressive: Frenkie de Jong, Tijjani Reijnders, Ryan Gravenberch and Xavi Simons offer the technique and dynamism to match anyone, even Spain on their day.
Further forward, Memphis Depay remains a reliable source of goals, while Donyell Malen’s form adds cutting edge and Brian Brobbey provides a more physical option.
The pieces are certainly there—but whether this perennial underachiever can finally put them together is another question entirely.
6. Norway
Norway stormed through World Cup qualifying to book their first tournament appearance since 1998, and, unsurprisingly, Erling Haaland was at the heart of it.
The Manchester City striker scored 16 goals—double that of any other player across UEFA qualifying—as Norway won all eight of their Group I matches while conceding just five goals.
Haaland is clearly the standout star, but Ståle Solbakken’s squad has quality throughout the pitch. From Julian Ryerson in defense to Martin Ødegaard controlling midfield and Antonio Nusa providing pace out wide, Norway boast talent in every area.
They really are this year’s dark horses.
5. Portugal
All eyes will, of course, be on Cristiano Ronaldo at the 2026 World Cup. The Al Nassr star is poised to become the first player to appear at six tournaments and was once again decisive as Portugal edged through qualifying.
His presence, though immense, should not obscure the depth of talent around him. This is a squad brimming with youth and quality—from António Silva and Nuno Mendes in defense to Vitinha and João Neves in midfield, with Rafael Leão and Francisco Conceição providing firepower in attack.
The blend of one of the greatest players in history and a dynamic, emerging core gives Roberto Martínez’s side every reason to believe they can mount a serious challenge for the trophy.
4. France
Like many of Europe’s heavyweights, France sailed through World Cup qualifying unbeaten—though largely against weaker sides in Ukraine, Iceland and Azerbaijan.
That follows a rather underwhelming 2025 Nations League campaign, where they were beaten by Spain in the semifinals after scraping past Croatia in the quarters, as well as a dull run to the Euro 2024 semifinals, leaving fans unsure whether Les Bleus can go all the way this summer.
The good news is their attack is arguably the most electrifying in world football. Kylian Mbappé, Michael Olise, Désiré Doué, Hugo Ekitike, Rayan Cherki and Ballon d’Or winner Ousmane Dembélé all give France the firepower to tear through any team on their day.
The only question mark is Didier Deschamps. If he unleashes this attacking talent fully, France could be unstoppable—but if he remains conservative, another disappointing tournament could be on the cards.
3. England
Under Sir Gareth Southgate, England were often the bridesmaid—always in contention but never quite claiming the prize—finishing runners-up in back-to-back European Championships and exiting in the quarterfinals of the 2022 World Cup.
Under Thomas Tuchel, the Three Lions seem to have turned a corner. They swept through Group K qualifying, winning all eight matches without conceding a single goal—a remarkable feat, even if many of the opponents were second-tier sides.
England are stacked with talent across the pitch, giving Tuchel plenty of options. Yet the shadow of 1966 and the relentless pressure from the British media mean that mentality, as much as ability, will play a decisive role this summer.
On paper, they have it all—world-class players and a top manager. Now it’s just a matter of turning potential into performance. The bridesmaid could finally catch the bouquet once more—but only if they deliver when it counts.
2. Argentina
The biggest question surrounding Argentina ahead of the 2026 World Cup is whether Lionel Messi will take part. With just months to go, it remains unclear if the nation’s talisman—the greatest player of all time, who finally led them to glory in 2022—will return for one last World Cup hurrah.
If he does suit up, Messi would be an enormous boost, but even without him, Argentina remain among the clear favorites to lift the trophy again.
La Albiceleste boast world-class talent across the pitch, particularly in midfield and the attacking third. They dominated CONMEBOL qualifying, finishing well ahead of the pack, and have continued that form in friendlies since.
1. Spain
The strength of Spain’s squad almost feels unfair.
La Roja are stacked with world-class talent at nearly every position. At the back, players like Dean Huijsen and Pau Cubarsí anchor the defense. In midfield, Pedri, Gavi, Martín Zubimendi and Rodri control the engine room, while up front Ferran Torres, Nico Williams, Samu Aghehowa and Fermin form a lethal attacking group.
And that’s without even mentioning their young talisman, Lamine Yamal, who continues to shine at Barcelona.
Their youth could be a potential weakness, but Spain’s near-perfect qualifying campaign and dominant Euro 2024 performance suggest experience won’t be an issue.
Drawn in a group with Cape Verde, Saudi Arabia and Uruguay, they have a favorable path in the bracket and could avoid many of the tournament’s big tests until the later rounds. In short: Everything is set up for Spain to lift the trophy.
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Barnaby Lane is a highly experienced sports writer who has written for The Times, FourFourTwo Magazine, TalkSPORT, and Business Insider. Over the years, he's had the pleasure of interviewing some of the biggest names in world sport, including Usain Bolt, Rafael Nadal, Christian Pulisic, and more.