World Cup 2026 Power Rankings before round of 16: Who's No. 1?

World Cup 2026 power rankings were released ahead of the round of 16, with the tournament set to narrow to 16 teams and the final scheduled for July 19. The ranking emphasizes the co-hosts—U.S., Mexico and Canada—remaining in contention after a group stage marked by high-profile performances and near-upsets such as Cape Verde taking defending champions Argentina to penalties. The Golden Boot race is led by Argentina’s Lionel Messi with seven goals, followed by France’s Kylian Mbappé with six, while England’s Harry Kane and Norway’s Erling Haaland have five. ESPN FC’s panel compiled ballots from 20 reporters, voting before Saturday’s round of 16 began with Canada facing Morocco. France is listed at No. 1, described as the 2022 runners-up with an undefeated-looking run, including a 3-0 win over Sweden in the round of 32. The projected round-of-16 opponent is Paraguay, with the match referenced for Saturday in Philadelphia.