World Cup 2026 Power Rankings after group stage: France still No. 1?

World Cup 2026 Power Rankings after the group stage keep France at No. 1 as the tournament shifts into win-or-go-home Round of 32 matches. With voting concluded before Sunday’s kickoff, ESPN FC compiled rankings from ballots submitted by 20 reporters for their top 15 favorites. France were unchanged at the top, following Group I wins over Senegal (2-0), Iraq (3-0), and Norway (4-1), and face Sweden in New York/New Jersey. Lionel Messi leads the scoring storyline with six goals, extending his form in a field that includes Kylian Mbappé, Ousmane Dembélé, Vinícius Júnior, and Erling Haaland on four each. Only Mexico, France, and Argentina finished 3-for-3 in group play. Upsets included South Africa advancing by finishing second in Group A and Congo DR reaching the knockouts by qualifying among best third-placed teams.