After Day 4 of the 2026 World Cup, eight teams debuted across North America and the standings in this power-rankings list shifted again—most notably as Mexico’s run produced a new dark horse. Germany rebounded from an early 1-1 draw with Curaçao before overwhe
The weekend is over across North America, but at the 2026 World Cup, the scoreboard still feels like it’s moving. Day 4 brought eight new teams into the tournament across the continent, and it ended with goals, momentum swings, and a fresh “dark horse” emerging out of Mexico.
Germany’s first moments didn’t match the expectations around them. They let the tiny nation at the tournament in Curaçao grab an early 1-1 tie. Then the tide turned in a way that will frustrate any team that hoped for something more than a familiar collapse: Germany steamrolled Curaçao, winning 7-1.
Sweden and Ivory Coast were the other standout winners of the day. Sweden followed an attacking push in the second half to put on an offensive showcase against Tunisia. Ivory Coast, meanwhile, broke through Ecuador’s elite defense to win their opener.
This is how the teams are standing following Day 4 in these World Cup power rankings:
Tier 1
1. Germany
2. United States of America
3. Sweden
4. Ivory Coast
5. South Korea
6. Australia
7. Morocco
8. Japan
9. Netherlands
10. Brazil
11. Mexico
Tier 2
12. Scotland
13. Ecuador
14. Canada
15. Switzerland
16. Bosnia
17. Qatar
18. Turkey
19. Czechia
Tier 3
20. Haiti
21. Paraguay
22. Curaçao
23. Tunisia
24. South Africa
Ecuador sat among the favorites going into the tournament because their defense had looked remarkable. That strength still showed for most of the game against Ivory Coast. but the match exposed what’s been missing in the moments that decide tournaments: an inconsistent attack and a failure to execute around the penalty box. Even when a team can hold strong for stretches, the rankings bounce when the finishing doesn’t arrive.
Curaçao, even after that 7-1 result, earned a measure of credit for how they approached the moment. They scored a historic goal and, as the day unfolded, they didn’t show fear against a bigger opponent in Germany.
Tunisia’s situation could have looked even worse if the Sweden match had kept going. The Tunisia vs. Sweden game reportedly needed just a little more time—“if it had gone on for 10 more minutes”—and it’s described as the kind of finish that might have pushed Tunisia below South Africa.
Instead, Tunisia’s late-game troubles are what matter most here: the team appeared to run out of fight in the final stretch once they fell behind by two goals.
The bottom tier is where the day leaves the sharpest sense of uncertainty. For teams like Haiti, Paraguay, Curaçao, Tunisia, and South Africa, things look bleak following their first round. The rankings read it plainly: these nations “haven’t really even shown signs of life yet. ” while the teams above them offered something to build on in the next two group-stage games.
After Day 4, the weekend’s biggest story isn’t only who won—it’s who looked capable of continuing. Germany’s rebound, Sweden and Ivory Coast’s finishing, Ecuador’s unfinished edge, and Mexico’s emergence as a new dark horse have all shifted the field heading into the next round.
2026 World Cup Day 4 power rankings Germany United States Sweden Ivory Coast Ecuador Tunisia Mexico Curaçao