World Cup 2026 Rankings: Messi Propels Argentina, Spain and Portugal Falter After Group Stage Draws

World Cup 2026 Rankings After Opening Group Matches

The first round of fixtures at the 2026 World Cup, hosted by the United States, Mexico, and Canada, has concluded with plenty of excitement. Despite no blockbuster matchups on paper, surprises and strong performances have been plentiful. Big stars like Kylian Mbappe, Erling Haaland, and Harry Kane impressed with multiple goals, while Lionel Messi stole the show with a hat-trick for defending champions Argentina. Cristiano Ronaldo struggled in contrast as Portugal struggled to make an impact.

Co-host nations Mexico and the United States started brightly with wins, Brazil was held to a draw by Morocco, and Germany dominated debutants Curacao. The Netherlands and Japan played out an entertaining 2-2 draw, while newcomers Cape Verde and DR Congo shocked the big guns, holding Spain and Portugal to draws respectively.

Teams Near Bottom After Round One

• Curacao suffered a heavy 7-1 defeat to Germany but scored a memorable equalizer through Livano Comenencia.
• Panama lost late to Ghana, dimming their hopes of reaching the knockout stage with tough matches ahead.
• Iraq showed promise against Norway but ultimately fell 4-1 and face a difficult road with France next.
• Tunisia experienced chaos after a 5-1 loss to Sweden and swiftly replaced head coach Sabri Lamouchi with Herve Renard.
• Haiti, back after 52 years, narrowly lost to Scotland but face daunting games versus Brazil and Morocco.

Teams Showing Promise

• Jordan, making their World Cup debut, fought well against Austria and could challenge Algeria next.
• South Africa struggled against Mexico but unveiled a new formation despite receiving two second-half red cards.
• Uzbekistan made history with their first World Cup goal but need wins against DR Congo and Portugal to advance.
• Paraguay had a poor start with a 4-1 loss to the United States and face must-win games against Turkiye and Australia.
• New Zealand twice led against Iran but settled for a 2-2 draw, keeping their hopes alive for knockout qualification.

Middle-Tier Teams With Mixed Starts

• Qatar showed marked improvement from 2022, earning a late equalizer against Switzerland.
• Algeria fell victim to Messi’s brilliance and now must beat Jordan to stay in contention.
• Cape Verde stunned Spain with a 0-0 draw, opening the door for potential advancement with upcoming matches against Uruguay and Saudi Arabia.
• Saudi Arabia earned a respectable 1-1 draw with Uruguay and look to build on this against Cape Verde.
• Iran faced tough circumstances off the field but managed a resilient 2-2 draw against New Zealand.

Top Performers and Contenders

• Argentina tops the rankings thanks to Messi’s hat-trick and solid overall form under Lionel Scaloni.
• France recovered from a slow start to beat Senegal 3-1, powered by Kylian Mbappe’s decisive goals.
• England showcased attacking firepower with a dominant second half against Croatia, with Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham scoring.
• Germany crushed Curacao 7-1, showing sharp attacking play and strong team cohesion.
• Brazil escaped with a draw against Morocco, heavily reliant on Vinicius Jr’s performance but facing questions about consistency.

Teams Struggling Among the Favorites

• Spain disappointed by drawing 0-0 with Cape Verde, exposing their lack of a reliable striker.
• Portugal once again looked ineffective in attack during their draw with DR Congo, raising doubts about Cristiano Ronaldo’s impact.
• Netherlands squandered leads against Japan, leaving their path to the knockouts uncertain.
• Croatia suffered a second-half collapse in a 4-2 loss to England and need to regroup quickly.
• Belgium failed to impress against Egypt, relying on a late own goal to earn a draw.

Notable Individual Performances

• Lionel Messi’s hat-trick confirmed his enduring class and lifted Argentina to the summit of the rankings.
• Kylian Mbappe displayed moments of brilliance for France, including a stunning long-range strike.
• Erling Haaland’s brace powered Norway to a convincing 4-1 win over Iraq.
• Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham both found the net early for England, signaling their threat up front.
• Folarin Balogun shone for the United States with a brace in their 4-1 rout of Paraguay.

The tournament promises plenty more drama and surprises as teams adjust and battle through the group stage. We think the storylines around Messi’s quest for another title and the struggles of traditional powers like Spain and Portugal will be particularly compelling to follow.