The latest World Cup Power Rankings are here. The first few matches at the 2026 FIFA World Cup delivered exactly what soccer fans hoped for: superstar performances, surprise results, and a shakeup among the tournament favorites.
From Lionel Messi’s historic hat trick to Kylian Mbappé becoming France’s all-time leading men’s scorer, the opening week provided plenty of headlines. Smaller nations also made their mark, including Cape Verde’s scoreless draw with Spain and Australia’s upset victory over Türkiye.
Following the first round of group-stage matches, ESPN FC’s panel of reporters released updated World Cup power rankings, and the United States made one of the biggest moves of any team in the field.
France Claims the Top Spot on the New World Cup Power Rankings After Dominant Opening Win
For the first time since pre-tournament rankings began, France has moved into the No. 1 position.
Led by Mbappé, France opened Group I with a convincing 3-1 victory over Senegal. After a relatively quiet first half, Mbappé scored twice in the second period, including a spectacular long-range strike in stoppage time.
The performance helped France earn 13 of 20 first-place votes from ESPN FC’s panel.
France’s defensive performance also stood out. Senegal generated little attacking danger throughout the match, while Bayern Munich star Michael Olise continued his excellent club form by creating multiple scoring opportunities.
France now faces Iraq before a highly anticipated showdown with Norway and Erling Haaland.
Top Five World Cup Power Rankings
France
England
Argentina
Spain
Germany
England and Argentina Continue to Impress
England climbed two spots to No. 2 after a 4-2 victory over Croatia.
Harry Kane scored twice, Jude Bellingham found the net, and Marcus Rashford added a late goal as Thomas Tuchel’s side displayed a more aggressive attacking approach than many expected.
Meanwhile, defending champion Argentina remained at No. 3.
Messi delivered one of the tournament’s most memorable performances by scoring all three goals in Argentina’s 3-0 victory over Algeria. The hat trick tied him with Miroslav Klose for the most goals in men’s World Cup history with 16.
Argentina’s attack looked sharp throughout the match, with Lautaro Martínez, Enzo Fernández, and Alexis Mac Allister helping create space for Messi to operate.
Germany rounded out the top five after a dominant 7-1 win over Curaçao.
USA Breaks Into the Top 10 After Statement Victory
One of the biggest stories from the updated rankings is the rise of the United States.
After receiving little attention in previous rankings, Mauricio Pochettino’s squad entered the top 10 at No. 9 following a convincing 4-1 victory over Paraguay.
The Americans impressed across the field.
Folarin Balogun scored twice and continued the strong form he displayed with Monaco at the club level. The midfield trio of Malik Tillman, Weston McKennie, and Tyler Adams controlled large stretches of the match, while fullbacks Antonee Robinson and Alex Freeman provided energy on both ends of the field.
The performance convinced voters that the U.S. could be a legitimate contender to advance deep into the tournament.
Despite the strong opening result, there remains uncertainty surrounding Christian Pulisic.
The U.S. captain recorded an assist against Paraguay but left the match at halftime with a calf injury. Reports indicate that Pulisic has practiced only sporadically since the opener and remains day to day.
His status looms large ahead of the Americans’ pivotal Group D matchup against Australia.
World Cup Power Rankings After Round 1: USA Cracks Top 10 Ahead of Key Australia Clash