Ranking the – MISRYOUM ranks all 48 qualified teams for the 2026 World Cup in Canada, Mexico, and the United States, updating from April to reflect managerial changes, key injuries, and other factors—shaping a tournament picture filled with talent, uncertainty, and pressure
It feels like the 2026 World Cup has been simmering for years—Canada, Mexico and the United States of America have hosted the planning, the arguments, the noise. Ticket prices, visas, extortionate train fares and literal wars haven’t exactly faded into the background.
Still, there’s a date that won’t move. June 11 is when the ball finally starts rolling.
And once that happens. attention turns to something simpler: who walks into the tournament with the best chance—and who might be dragged along by luck. fitness and timing. With 48 teams qualified. MISRYOUM has re-ranked them from best to worst as things stand now. adjusting from April when all qualifiers were confirmed. The changes here come from managerial shifts, key injuries, and other factors that could swing outcomes.
1. Spain
FIFA ranking: 1
Our ranking in April: 1
Most people’s favourite talk starts with Spain—and then it turns into a coin toss. Spain’s only issue appears to be the overfitness of Lamine Yamal. but it seems as though he’ll feature during the group stage. The Euro 2024 winners have a roster full of young attacking talent. and in theory. there may even be room to improve from two years ago.
2. France
FIFA ranking: 3
Our ranking in April: 3
France have so many attacking options that someone will inevitably have to miss out. At least one of Kylian Mbappe. Desire Doue. Ousmane Dembele. Michael Olise and Rayan Cherki won’t be in France’s first-choice team. Other elements of the squad don’t look quite as strong as the attacking depth. but that gives France too many ways to hurt opponents to be easy to stop.
3. Argentina
FIFA ranking: 2
Our ranking in April: 2
Argentina are reigning champions from Qatar in 2022. and they’ve also won back-to-back Copa America titles in 2021 and 2024. Lionel Scaloni is still the manager and Lionel Messi is still the star—though Messi will turn 39 during the tournament. They have quality and experience to retain their crown. The question lingering is whether desire matches the talent.
Lionel Messi lifts the Copa America trophy in 2024 (Miguel Rodriguez/Anadolu via Getty Images)
4. Brazil
FIFA ranking: 5
Our ranking in April: 4
The big Brazil debate used to be Neymar’s inclusion. which felt like a sideshow. That masked how strong the rest of Carlo Ancelotti’s selection looks. There are a couple of questions at full-back. but under Ancelotti—known for calm leadership and steering groups of wayward superstars—Brazil have a great chance.
5. England
FIFA ranking: 4
Our ranking in April: 6
England’s squad depth is so heavy that Thomas Tuchel can leave Phil Foden and Cole Palmer out. Strikers are also carrying form: Harry Kane finished the season with successive hat-tricks. while Ollie Watkins has six goals in five games. For England, as always, what happens at club level has to translate to the international stage.
6. Germany
FIFA ranking: 10
Our ranking in April: 8
Germany’s squad announcement made one story obvious: the return of Manuel Neuer. Big comebacks sometimes don’t go to plan, but it’s enough to push Germany up a couple of places. The attacking talent is there, even if the centre-forward position remains a question mark. Add in a relatively friendly group draw and Germany have to be considered strong contenders.
7. Netherlands
FIFA ranking: 7
Our ranking in April: 5
The Netherlands slip down a couple of spots because Xavi Simons is injured. He suffered a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) while playing for Tottenham Hotspur in April. Simons’ ability will be missed, but the Dutch still have a healthy group of very, very good footballers. If Ronald Koeman can knit it together, they should go deep.
8. Portugal
FIFA ranking: 6
Our ranking in April: 7
Portugal’s conversation starts with Cristiano Ronaldo. In theory. he should be suspended for the first two games of the tournament. but his magical reprieve means he’ll almost certainly start. The pressing question is whether. this time at 41. he can finally make a mark on a World Cup—Ronaldo has never scored a knockout goal at one.
Could Cristiano Ronaldo win the World Cup, a trophy that has eluded him, at 41? (Seb Daly/Sportsfile via Getty Images)
9. Colombia
FIFA ranking: 14
Our ranking in April: 9
Colombia are coming off a run that includes reaching the 2024 Copa America final. They finished third in South American qualifying and arrive with high hopes. James Rodriguez leads them—what will probably be his last World Cup. Jhon Arias and Richard Rios are key players behind him. and Luis Diaz gives Colombia something extra: he’s one-third of the most prolific attack in Europe at Bayern Munich. Colombia won’t be dull.
10. Croatia
FIFA ranking: 11
Our ranking in April: 10
Croatia could have been lower if the injury concerns from around a month ago had stayed unresolved. but both Luka Modric and Josko Gvardiol appear fit and ready. That makes it hard to ignore Croatia’s tournament pedigree. The experienced core is backed by promising younger players.
11. Uruguay
FIFA ranking: 17
Our ranking in April: 12
Uruguay have no form. They haven’t won in four matches. including a 5-1 trouncing by the United States last November (admittedly without key players). Their March story includes a 1-1 draw against England at Wembley. but it also includes a 0-0 draw against Algeria a few days later. They have no form, and no Luis Suarez—he was snubbed after saying he would come out of international retirement. Still, there is Marcelo Bielsa and Federico Valverde. Swings and roundabouts.
12. Morocco
FIFA ranking: 8
Our ranking in April: 11
Changing coaches right before a World Cup doesn’t usually spell success. Mohamed Ouahbi will only have a handful of games under his belt before Morocco’s first match, replacing Walid Regragui. For that reason—along with a couple of controversial squad selections—Morocco drop a place in the ranking.
13. Senegal
FIFA ranking: 12
Our ranking in April: 14
Senegal have pedigree. They reached the knockout stage twice—2002 quarter-finalists and the round of 16 in 2022. They also have the kind of squad Premier League viewers will recognize. including Sadio Mane. Nicolas Jackson. Iliman Ndiaye. Pape Matar Sarr and Ismaila Sarr. They won the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) fairly recently. Or did they?. Either way, their team is strong enough to put noses out of joint.
14. Egypt
FIFA ranking: 31
Our ranking in April: 15
Egypt is all about Mohamed Salah. This is probably his last chance to fix Egypt’s weirdly terrible World Cup record: they’ve only previously qualified once this century. and in that span they won AFCON three times. Salah is heading in in decent physical shape after being unfit in 2018. He also may have a more convincing supporting cast than in 2018.
Mohamed Salah was carrying an injury going into the 2022 World Cup (Monirul Bhuiyan/AFP via Getty Images)
15. South Korea
FIFA ranking: 22
Our ranking in April: 16
South Korea’s prospects look dampened by late-season issues: a few players ended last season either out of form. injured. or simply not playing. Son Heung-min had two goals in 21 matches at LAFC. Key midfielder Hwang In-beom was injured. and Lee Kang-in didn’t play a minute in any of Paris Saint-Germain’s final four Champions League matches.
The warm-up gives a counterweight. They beat Trinidad & Tobago 5-0 last week, with Son scoring twice and Hwang returning from injury. Their group draw is also favorable: Mexico, South Africa and possibly the weakest team from the European play-offs, Czech Republic, in Group A.
16. Belgium
FIFA ranking: 9
Our ranking in April: 13
Belgium’s drop comes from fitness doubts. When naming the Belgian squad, Rudi Garcia admitted that Romelu Lukaku was “out of shape”, but still picked him. Kevin De Bruyne also spent much of the club season out injured. Fitness is the big question mark, and it explains why Belgium slip a few places.
17. Ecuador
FIFA ranking: 23
Our ranking in April: 17
Ecuador should be hard to beat. They conceded only five goals in 18 qualifiers and also scored 14. Champions League finalists Willian Pacho and Piero Hincapie are central to that record. Ecuador finished second behind Argentina in qualifying, ahead of Brazil, Uruguay and Colombia. They head to the tournament confident of reaching the World Cup knockout stage for only the second time. especially because their group contains Ivory Coast and Curacao (as well as Germany). If their defensive record holds, they can squeeze past anyone.
18. Norway
FIFA ranking: 32
Our ranking in April: 19
Norway are the tournament’s dark horse. They won all eight qualification games and arrive with a battery of attacking options. with Jorgen Strand Larsen and Alexander Sorloth providing backup to Erling Haaland. One small question mark remains: the form of captain Martin Odegaard, who endured a tricky season for Arsenal. Still, some promising performances at the end of the campaign give Norway hope.
Erling Haaland’s goals secured Norway’s place at a World Cup for the first time in 28 years (Image Photo Agency/Getty Images)
19. Mexico
FIFA ranking: 16
Our ranking in April: 18
Mexico’s starting point is pressure. They were dumped out of the group stage in 2022, ending a run of seven consecutive last-16 exits. This time, they’re playing at home and expectations are lofty. Their cause isn’t helped by captain Edson Alvarez, who has missed most of 2026 so far through injury. He has returned just in time. With Gilberto Mora, Raul Jimenez and home advantage, Mexico could thrive.
20. Ivory Coast
FIFA ranking: 37
Our ranking in April: 20
Ivory Coast are unbeaten in qualifying. but their World Cup record hasn’t been great. They still have enough players to make the group and reach the knockout stage for the first time. RB Leipzig winger Yan Diomande will be one of the most exciting young players to watch. and he’s likely to become a staple of the transfer gossip pages this summer.
21. Switzerland
FIFA ranking: 18
Our ranking in April: 22
Switzerland’s sixth consecutive World Cup appearance brings a familiar question: can they go further than the last 16?. They’ve reached the last 16 in four of the past five tournaments. Switzerland went unbeaten in 2025, winning 10 games, including wins against Mexico and the United States. With a settled team featuring Breel Embolo. Ricardo Rodriguez and captain Granit Xhaka. they could do damage—before inevitably exiting at the last-16 stage.
22. United States
FIFA ranking: 15
Our ranking in April: 23
The co-hosts carry uncertainty off the pitch. It remains to be seen whether Mauricio Pochettino talking to Milan about the manager’s job in the past few weeks will make any substantive impact on their prospects. On the pitch, they lost March friendlies to Belgium and Portugal but beat Senegal in a World Cup warm-up game. Christian Pulisic is central to everything. and if he performs after a patchy season in Italy. the United States might make an impact on home soil. They could win it?. They have “zero chance”, according to former England and Barcelona striker Gary Lineker.
Christian Pulisic will be crucial to the USMNT’s hopes (John Dorton/ISI Photos/USSF/Getty Images)
23. Japan
FIFA ranking: 19
Our ranking in April: 21
Japan’s prospects are slightly dulled by the absence of Kaoru Mitoma through injury. Still. their depth is stronger than in previous years. with Wataru Endo. Daichi Kamada. Ao Tanaka and Daizen Maeda plying their trade in England and Scotland. This will be Japan’s eighth World Cup in a row. and they’ve yet to get past the first knockout round. They have the talent to go further this time.
24. Turkey
FIFA ranking: 25
Our ranking in April: 24
Turkey qualified via the play-offs. The fact they have an outstanding crop of attacking young talent means it would have been a pity if they hadn’t made it. For neutrals, it’s even better: the World Cup will be blessed with Arda Guler, Kenan Yildiz and Baris Yilmaz. Those are players who can produce spectacular moments.
25. Australia
FIFA ranking: 27
Our ranking in April: 25
Australia are riding high in the FIFA rankings. achieving their best rating for 14 years. The reason is grinding out results, which is what pragmatic coach Tony Popovic wants. Performances haven’t been thrill-a-minute, but Jackson Irvine remains a stalwart and Watford winger Nestory Irankunda—aged 20—will turn heads.
26. Algeria
FIFA ranking: 28
Our ranking in April: 27
Algeria marched through qualifying without ever being spectacular. Vladimir Petkovic—former Switzerland coach—guides them from the dugout. On the pitch. Riyad Mahrez still leads the squad. but it probably won’t be long before Mohamed Amoura or another young forward takes on that role. They should make it out of the group, although Austria and Jordan will not be easy. Anything more than that may be a stretch.
27. Austria
FIFA ranking: 24
Our ranking in April: 29
Austria have moved up a couple of spots compared with the previous rankings. mostly because of problems elsewhere rather than huge advances of their own. It is their first World Cup since 1998. and Marko Arnautovic—at 37—still anchors much of their attacking focus. playing these days in Serbia for Crvena Zvezda.
28. Ghana
FIFA ranking: 72
Our ranking in April: 26
Ghana sacked manager Otto Addo in March. The move doesn’t scream “steady ship”, and the absence of Mohamed Kudus is a blow. Antoine Semenyo’s attacking hopes will weigh heavily on him. and the question becomes how quickly Addo’s replacement. Carlos Queiroz. can get the team pointing in the right direction.
29. Canada
FIFA ranking: 29
Our ranking in April: 30
Canada’s spot reflects their FIFA ranking. but home advantage and the fact Jesse Marsch has been working with the group for a couple of years in preparation should mean they feel higher is justified. The fitness of Alphonso Davies remains a perennial concern. Canada have never won a World Cup match, but they should—and they should—progress from their group. For Canada and for the tournament as a whole, it would be a huge disappointment if they do not.
Alphonso Davies suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury while on Canada duty in March 2025 (Jose Breton/Pics Action/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
30. Paraguay
FIFA ranking: 40
Our ranking in April: 31
Paraguay’s qualifying numbers suggest a team that avoids chaos. In 18 qualifiers they conceded only 10 goals and scored 14, which implies they won’t be involved in too many ding-dong matches. They still have attacking names like Miguel Almiron and Julio Enciso, and there’s a chance they surprise.
31. Iran
FIFA ranking: 20
Our ranking in April: 28
Iran has fallen a few places because “normal” at this tournament looks impossible. Iran are being asked to play a World Cup in a country their own is literally at war with. The squad is also old. the manager seems unpopular. and star forward Sardar Azmoun has been left out for non-football reasons. This wasn’t a quiet disagreement: Iran’s vice-president Abdolkarim Hosseinzadeh called for Azmoun’s return.
32. Sweden
FIFA ranking: 42
Our ranking in April: 33
Graham Potter guided Sweden through the back door of the play-offs after a miserable qualifying campaign that included two losses to Kosovo. Sweden won 3-1 versus Ukraine and 3-2 versus Poland in March to qualify. Their World Cup prospects remain confusing. Viktor Gyokeres. Alexander Isak. Anthony Elanga and Lucas Bergvall all sound like a strong group on paper. but the latter trio endured poor seasons in the Premier League.
33. Panama
FIFA ranking: 33
Our ranking in April: 34
Panama are in a tough draw: England, Ghana and Croatia. That isn’t going to help their chances. With a kinder draw, they might have pushed through to the knockout stage as one of the best third-placed teams, but that’s a long shot.
34. Scotland
FIFA ranking: 38
Our ranking in April: 35
Scotland’s first World Cup since 1998 brings a promise that they surely won’t be as disappointing as they were at Euro 2024. Losing Billy Gilmour to injury on the eve of the tournament is a blow. Still. John McGinn and Scott McTominay are consistently excellent performers. and mavericks like Ben Gannon-Doak and Lawrence Shankland can still cause problems.
35. Saudi Arabia
FIFA ranking: 61
Our ranking in April: 32
Saudi Arabia’s build-up carries a shock. They sacked their manager 59 days before their tournament opener. Herve Renard was set to take charge of Saudi Arabia at a World Cup for the third time—he oversaw the win over Argentina four years ago—but Renard has been replaced by Georgios Donis. a former Greece international who had been coaching in the Saudi Pro League. The effect on Saudi Arabia’s prospects remains unclear.
36. Tunisia
FIFA ranking: 47
Our ranking in April: 36
Tunisia didn’t concede a single goal in qualifying. but that was under previous management. Sami Trabelsi was sacked after a disappointing AFCON, and Sabri Lamouchi replaced him. From that perspective, Tunisia look more like a wildcard. Their group is also brutal: it features Japan, the Netherlands and Sweden.
37. South Africa
FIFA ranking: 60
Our ranking in April: 37
South Africa’s last result didn’t inspire confidence. They drew 0-0 with Nicaragua last week. But this is their first World Cup since hosting in 2010. and they’ll hope a decent draw—against Mexico. South Korea and Czech Republic—gives them a chance to progress. Captain and goalkeeper Ronwen Williams will be crucial; he was nominated for FIFA’s Lev Yashin award in 2024.
38. Qatar
FIFA ranking: 56
Our ranking in April: 38
Qatar’s main aim is improvement after their “frankly pathetic” showing at home four years ago. They lost three times from three matches and slunk out. Since then they did retain their Asian Cup title, so they’re not completely useless. Their draw looks relatively friendly: Canada, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Switzerland. Making it through isn’t completely out of the question.
39. Czech Republic
FIFA ranking: 43
Our ranking in April: 39
Czech Republic are the penalty-shootout kings: they beat the Republic of Ireland and Denmark on spot-kicks in March’s play-offs. They are one of the least-fancied European sides. though their hopes for the knockout stage rely on two relegated Premier League players: Tomas Soucek from West Ham United and Ladislav Krejci from Wolverhampton Wanderers. The tournament is only the country’s second World Cup since 1990.
40. New Zealand
FIFA ranking: 85
Our ranking in April: 40
New Zealand were famously undefeated at their last World Cup in 2010. but this time they go searching for their first victory. Qualifying wasn’t against the toughest competition. but their group includes potentially vulnerable teams in Iran and Egypt. so a win is possible. The bad news: they were dire in a 4-0 defeat by Haiti at the start of June.
41. Uzbekistan
FIFA ranking: 52
Our ranking in April: 45
A friendly FIFA Series tournament win in March may not matter on paper. given the opponents were Gabon and Venezuela. but it kept Uzbekistan’s momentum going ahead of their first World Cup appearance. Their prospects of escaping Group K—which also contains Portugal. Colombia and DR Congo—may rest on striker and captain Eldor Shomurodov. He’s had excellent club form with Istanbul Basaksehir. sharing the Turkish Super Lig golden boot after scoring 22 goals. which was the most prolific season of his career.
42. Jordan
FIFA ranking: 64
Our ranking in April: 41
Injuries have troubled Jordan going into their first World Cup. But perhaps their best hope is collective spirit. The country’s proximity to conflict in neighbouring countries has meant these last few years have been pretty desperate. The tournament will mean more to them than most.
43. Bosnia and Herzegovina
FIFA ranking: 71
Our ranking in April: 42
Bosnia and Herzegovina come in with little to lose after denying Italy on penalties in March. Edin Dzeko and former Arsenal defender Sead Kolasinac are the only players who remain from their 2014 World Cup squad. At the other end of the age scale. 21-year-old Ermin Mahmic. born in Austria. has switched his allegiance in time for the tournament.
44. DR Congo
FIFA ranking: 48
Our ranking in April: 43
The casual fan might not know much about the DR Congo side. but they have a real sniff of progression. Their group includes first-timers Uzbekistan; if DR Congo beat them in the final group game. they might go through as one of the best third-place teams. The achievement would be massive.
45. Curacao
FIFA ranking: 81
Our ranking in April: 47
Curacao are the World Cup’s smallest-ever nation. They move up a couple of places not due to what they’ve done on the field. Their past two matches: a 5-1 loss to Australia and a 4-1 loss to Scotland. albeit with 10 men in the latter. The real reason for the rise is that Dick Advocaat is back in charge. He returned in May, three months after resigning, citing a family health issue. The 78-year-old will become the oldest manager at a World Cup.
46. Cape Verde
FIFA ranking: 67
Our ranking in April: 44
Cape Verde’s story is built on scale and firsts: the collection of 10 small islands are making the World Cup for the first time. one of last year’s great stories. Reality could hit hard when they take on America. Their hope is to stay competitive against Spain and Uruguay, and pull off something special against Saudi Arabia.
47. Iraq
FIFA ranking: 58
Our ranking in April: 46
Iraq have been on a journey just to be here. The situation in the Middle East has shaped what’s been happening off the pitch. and there’s been drama too on it: a dramatic intercontinental play-off victory over Bolivia. The task at the tournament is brutal: former Australia coach Graham Arnold faces France, Norway and Senegal.
48. Haiti
FIFA ranking: 83
Our ranking in April: 48
Haiti are the lowest-ranked World Cup team by both FIFA and The Athletic. Their draw could have been worse. Still. it will take something akin to a miracle for them to even get a point from games against Brazil. Morocco and Scotland. Their coach. Sebastien Migne. has never actually set foot in Haiti—gang violence prevented them from playing home games during his tenure. If he pulls something special off in this tournament, they’ll carry him shoulder-high into Port-au-Prince.
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