2026 World Cup Power Rankings: Top Contenders One Year Ahead Of Kickoff

‎The 2026 World Cup will be the biggest tournament ever, featuring 48 nations.

‎Based on each qualifying round, we’ll rank the top 10 teams most likely to win the title.

‎These rankings will consider their current form and squad strength as they prepare for the tournament in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

‎Here’s how things stand with a year to go:

‎1. Argentina

‎Since Lionel Messi’s first World Cup victory in Qatar, reigning champions Argentina have continued to improve.

‎They also secured another Copa America title, demonstrating they are less dependent on the Inter Miami star, as evidenced by their 4-1 win over Brazil in March without him in Miami

‎They’re a coherent unit with quality all over the pitch and an ability to pick up wins no matter what, and they’ll probably still have the greatest player of all time in their arsenal. In short, they’re the team to beat.

‎2. Spain

‎Under Luis de la Fuente, Spain has risen to become both the European champions and one of the most thrilling teams in international football.

‎With Lamine Yamal leading the attack, they’ve netted three or more goals in five of their ten matches since the Euros.

‎Their only loss came on penalties to Portugal in a Nations League final, a result they genuinely deserved to win.

‎They’re shaky at the back even with the emergence of Dean Huijsen, but you’d back them to outscore most sides that they’d go up against.

‎3. France

‎Since 2018, France has been a perennial favorite for every major tournament, thanks to their incredible talent pool, and that looks set to continue.

‎Their squad is arguably more impressive than ever, boosted by outstanding seasons from Ousmane Dembele, Michael Olise, Desire Doue, and Rayan Cherki.

‎Of course, Kylian Mbappe still remains a key part of their formidable lineup.

‎While they may not be as thrilling as they could be under Didier Deschamps, the outgoing manager has proven at delivering results. With this being his final tournament in charge of Les Bleus, he will be more motivated than ever to leave on a high note.

‎4. Portugal

‎Roberto Martinez’s debut tournament with Portugal was quite forgettable, as they narrowly advanced past Slovenia on penalties before falling in a shootout to France in the quarter-finals. Since then, however, their fortunes have improved significantly.

‎They claimed the Nations League title with an impressive victory over Germany and a penalty shootout win against Spain.

‎Along the way, they also scored five goals each against Poland and Denmark, solidifying their dominance in the tournament.

‎It remains uncertain whether they can clinch a World Cup with 41-year-old Cristiano Ronaldo leading the attack, but with strength across every other area of the pitch, CR7 still has a real chance to finally secure football’s most coveted trophy.

‎5. Brazil

‎Typically, a team with just two wins in their last five matches and a new manager wouldn’t make the top five on such a list.

‎However, Brazil is no ordinary side, and Carlo Ancelotti is an exceptional manager. Their first two matches, a 0-0 draw with Ecuador and a 1-0 win over Paraguay, were not spectacular but enough to secure qualification.

‎Still, they made it clear that building an elite team from an unbalanced squad will be a challenging task.

‎However, when it comes to getting the best out of such a squad and navigating knockout football, there are none better than the Italians.

‎As long as he has some talent in his ranks, he can make things work, and with Alisson, Gabriel, Raphinha, Vinicius Junior, and Rodrygo among those to choose from, he certainly does.

‎6. Germany

‎Tuchel’s home country is in better form than the team he’s managing, though they don’t look quite as strong as they did at the Euros, where they were regarded as the second-best side.

‎They have won just once in their last five matches, drawing with Hungary and losing to Portugal and France.

‎Their absence of a world-class striker has been evident in those results.

‎Nevertheless, they have an abundance of young talent both on the pitch and in the dugout, and both Julian Nagelsmann and his many exciting prospects are likely to only get better in the next year.

‎7. England

‎Following back-to-back defeats in the Euros final, England brought in Thomas Tuchel, hoping he could translate his club success to international football. The aim was for him to finally lead the team to another major trophy.

‎However, the early indications suggest that the results have not met expectations so far.

‎They may have won their first three qualifiers under him, but those wins 2-0 against Albania, 3-0 against Latvia, and 1-0 against Andorra were hardly convincing, and they were followed by a 3-1 defeat to Senegal.

‎It remains to be seen whether a predominantly pragmatic manager is the ideal fit for a team boasting an abundance of world-class attacking players and lacking top-tier centre-backs.

‎Nonetheless, he is undoubtedly one of the best managers in the world, and the squad is one of the strongest globally. If they can forge a strong working relationship, they could become a formidable force.

‎8. The Netherlands

‎An injury-hit Netherlands side stumbled their way to the EURO 2024 semi-finals, but one year on, they’re in much better shape.

‎Their backline has long been one of the best in international football, and now their midfield is also strengthening with Ryan Gravenberch, Xavi Simons, and Justin Kluivert vying for starting spots alongside Frenkie de Jong and Tijjani Reijnders.

‎After excellent seasons, the team’s depth and talent are truly impressive.

‎The lack of a world-class striker and the shortcomings of manager Ronald Koeman remain major concerns for the team.

‎However, their start to 2025 has been encouraging, with tight draws against Spain in the Nations League quarter-finals that were decided on penalties.

‎Additionally, a commanding 8-0 Winning over Malta in qualifying suggests that the team is gradually finding its footing and moving in the right direction.

‎9. Ecuador

‎While Ecuador may not appear as a top-10 contender based on their squad, their recent competitive record tells a different tale.

‎Last summer, they pushed Argentina to penalties in the Copa America quarter-finals, arguably deserving of victory, and since then, they have lost just two of their 16 World Cup qualifiers, with wins over Uruguay and draws against Brazil.

‎Led by PSG’s Willian Pacho and Bayer Leverkusen’s Piero Hincapie, their backline has conceded just five goals in those matches, and in Moises Caicedo, they have one of the best midfield enforcers in football.

‎10. Norway

‎Norway appears to be enjoying a golden generation, led by stars like Erling Haaland, Martin Ødegaard, and Alexander Sørloth.Norw

‎So far, they’ve lived up to expectations in qualifying, winning all four of their opening matches and netting 13 goals along the way. The highlight of their campaign has been a commanding 3-0 victory over Italy.

‎Questions remain over their defensive strength and their major tournament prowess, but they have the firepower to hurt anyone.