World Cup Power Rankings: England's Dominance, Norway's Rise, Brazil's Fall

England FIFA ranking: 4

England stride into the quarter-finals with a landmark win in their pockets and a headache at the back. Jarell Quansah’s two-game ban for his red card against Mexico strips Thomas Tuchel of a key defender just as the tournament tightens. On top of that, Marc Guehi, Declan Rice and Reece James are all nursing injuries before Saturday’s clash with Norway.

The performance in Mexico City was as big as the result. Beating the co-hosts at the Azteca, a ground where they simply do not lose, was a flex of authority. Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane kept their superb tournaments rolling, but it was the defensive steel that really told the story. Jordan Pickford was razor-sharp, Dan Burn stepped off the bench and into the fire, and England dug in to protect their lead after Quansah’s dismissal before the hour.

They bent, they did not break. Now Tuchel’s gaze turns to Erling Haaland. At the start of the tournament, England would have gladly signed for a quarter-final against Norway. Now they must find a way to cage the most ruthless striker in the game without a full deck in defence.

Norway

FIFA ranking: 21

Norway have arrived at the sharp end of a World Cup at last, and they have done it the obvious way: by unleashing Haaland. His double against Brazil dragged them into a first-ever World Cup quarter-final and sent the five-time champions home in shock.

The goals are the headline, but the platform is built at the other end. Orjan Nyland is playing out of his skin, turning in the kind of goalkeeping that shifts belief inside a dressing room. In front of him, Martin Odegaard dictates the rhythm, slowing and quickening the game as he pleases. This is a side that can keep the ball and also go toe-to-toe physically with anyone.

Now Manchester City’s Haaland and Arsenal’s Odegaard run into a host of familiar Premier League faces in England. They will not be overawed. They have just bullied Brazil.

Belgium

FIFA ranking: 9

Belgium were drifting. Laboured against Egypt, flat against Iran, they looked every inch a golden generation on the slide. Then something clicked. A 5-1 demolition of New Zealand to close the group phase jolted them awake, and an outrageous late turnaround against Senegal in the round of 32 sent them surging into the knockouts with momentum.

Those who had written them off as yesterday’s men have been forced to look again. Their win over the United States has them in the quarter-finals and suddenly on a roll, staring at Spain and wondering if one more upset is within reach.

The mood has been checked by grim news: Amadou Onana has suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury. Losing Aston Villa’s midfield enforcer strips Belgium of legs and bite in the centre just when they needed every ounce of energy.

Switzerland

FIFA ranking: 15

Switzerland always seem to be there when the knockouts begin. For three straight World Cups they hit the round of 16 and no further. This time, they finally broke the glass ceiling.

Against Colombia, they held their nerve in a penalty shootout to claim their first World Cup win from the spot and reach a first quarter-final since 1954, when they hosted the tournament. It came at a cost. Johan Manzambi, their breakout attacking force with three goals and two assists, missed the match through injury. Without the 20-year-old, their creativity dulled; they mustered only two shots on target.

What they lost in invention, they made up for in resolve. They ground Colombia down, defended with discipline and waited for their moment. Argentina await next. Switzerland know they can drag a heavyweight into deep water. They will quietly fancy it.

Morocco

FIFA ranking: 6

Morocco could not repeat the delirium of 2022’s semi-final run, but they carved out a fresh piece of history all the same. No African side had ever reached successive World Cup quarter-finals until now.

They navigated a gentle group with authority, holding Brazil to a draw in their opener and then seeing off the Netherlands on penalties. A ruthless 3-0 dismantling of co-hosts Canada followed, made even more remarkable by the fact they needed only five attempts at goal.

France, though, were a step too far. Morocco rarely laid a glove on a star-studded side and badly missed the injured Ismael Saibari, whose presence up front might have given them a sharper edge. The performance underwhelmed, but in the wider context — expectation piled high at home, the target on their backs — this still felt like a strong tournament.

Paraguay

FIFA ranking: 34

Paraguay’s World Cup will be remembered for one night above all: beating Germany in the last 32, one of the greatest results in their history. Asking them to repeat that against France was asking too much.

They barely threatened Didier Deschamps’ team, but they refused to fold, offering a stubborn, organised resistance that may yet provide a template for how stronger sides can frustrate the French later on. For a team that were ripped apart 4-1 by the United States in their opening match, reaching this stage and bloodying a giant felt like overachievement.

Mexico

FIFA ranking: 10

Mexico’s fortress finally fell. Defeat to England at the Azteca marked their first World Cup loss there after 10 unbeaten games and ended a campaign that had promised so much on home soil.

They arrived in the last 16 without conceding a goal, only for Jude Bellingham to rattle in a quickfire double and shatter that record. When Quansah saw red before the hour, the door opened. Mexico hurled cross after cross into the box but never found the quality to match England’s cutting edge.

Julian Quinones, with four goals in five games, emerges as the enduring symbol of this side. The rest will be haunted by the sense that this was a chance missed in their own backyard.

Colombia

FIFA ranking: 11

Colombia had Switzerland exactly where they wanted them — under pressure, hanging on — and still slipped out of the tournament on penalties. The shootout defeat in the last 16 will sting for a long time.

They had eyed a quarter-final rematch with Argentina, a chance to avenge defeat in the Copa America final two years ago. That narrative never materialised because they could not break down a disciplined Swiss defence.

It was not all frustration. Colombia had impressed in the group stage, outplaying Portugal in a goalless draw to top Group K, then brushing aside Ghana in the round of 32. There was genuine belief they could go deeper. Instead, they are left with the familiar ache of what might have been.

United States

FIFA ranking: 16

The United States’ World Cup ended with a thud. Belgium brushed them aside in the last 16, extending a barren run against elite European opposition and exposing how far this team still has to climb.

The build-up had been dominated by the Folarin Balogun controversy, the forward remaining on the pitch amid a swirl of debate. Whether that saga seeped into the dressing room will remain an open question, but the performance did not match the promise of the group stage or the confidence of their last-32 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina.

For a co-host, to go out in such flat fashion on home soil will linger.

Egypt

FIFA ranking: 24

Egypt arrived with a reputation as serial World Cup underachievers and tore it up. They beat New Zealand to claim a first World Cup win, then edged Australia on penalties in the round of 32 to secure their first knockout victory.

Against reigning champions Argentina in the last 16, they were fearless. Sharp on the counter, they led for most of the night and had the holders rocking before collapsing in the closing stages. At 2-0 up, game management deserted them. They neither locked the back door nor bled the clock.

The manner of the defeat was brutal, but this was a team that had already made history — and shown they belong on this stage.

Canada

FIFA ranking: 30

Canada’s campaign is hard to pin down. On one hand, they claimed their country’s first World Cup point and, for the first time, reached the knockout stage. On the other, their only wins came against Qatar and South Africa in a soft group, raising questions about how much they truly moved the needle.

In the last 16, they wasted a flurry of first-half chances against Morocco and were punished, losing 3-0. The scoreline flattered their opponents but not the story of a side still learning how to be ruthless.

The real victory may lie beyond the results: a platform, an identity, and the hope that Canada become World Cup regulars rather than occasional guests.

Cape Verde

FIFA ranking: 64

Cape Verde lit up the tournament. From the moment they held European champions Spain to a 0-0 draw, they captured imaginations, then somehow finished above Uruguay by drawing all three group games to reach the last 16.

They saved their finest act for Argentina. Twice they fell behind to Messi and the world champions; twice they clawed their way back. Goalkeeper Vozinha, the breakout star of the World Cup, made eight saves, including a superb one-on-one stop from Messi. Roberto “Pico” Lopes marshalled the defence with authority.

Yet it was full-back Sidny Lopes Cabral who stole the show, bending in a stunning finish from an absurd angle that will live in the goal-of-the-tournament conversation. They go home, but not quietly and not forgotten.

Brazil

FIFA ranking: 5

Brazil’s wait goes on. The most decorated nation in World Cup history will hit 28 years without a title by the next edition — their longest drought — after a meek exit in the last 16.

Even Carlo Ancelotti, the serial club winner, could not jolt them into life against Norway. They were passive, second-best, and extended a strange record: they have still not beaten Norway in five meetings.

Neymar’s late cameo will be remembered less for his consolation penalty than for the running battle with Nyland and a clash with Odegaard. By the final whistle, he was in tears. So were many back home.

Portugal

FIFA ranking: 7

Portugal’s star-studded squad flickered rather than burned. Only against debutants Uzbekistan, in a 5-0 stroll, did they look clearly superior to their opponents.

In the round of 16, Roberto Martinez’s side drifted through long spells, stuck in a lull, and only snapped into urgency after Spain struck a stoppage-time winner. By then it was too late.

This World Cup closes the book on Cristiano Ronaldo at the tournament. He scored at a record sixth edition and finally found a knockout goal, from the spot against Croatia, but offered little from open play. The era ends not in glory, but in a slow fade.

Netherlands

FIFA ranking: 7

The Netherlands’ group stage hinted at something powerful. They swarmed Sweden 5-1, Cody Gakpo, Brian Brobbey and Crysencio Summerville combining in a slick, dangerous attack. Confidence surged as they topped their group.

Then came Morocco in the last 16, another top-10 side. Ronald Koeman switched to a back five, sacrificing some of that attacking verve. It almost worked; Morocco needed a late equaliser to survive. The price came in the shootout, where the Dutch missed three of five penalties and crashed out.

The disappointment cut deep enough for Koeman to resign. A campaign that had promised a step forward instead ended in familiar frustration.

Germany

FIFA ranking: 12

Germany’s latest World Cup story is another tale of early departure. They looked ominous after thrashing Curacao and edging Ivory Coast, only for a 2-1 loss to Ecuador with close to their strongest XI to ring alarm bells.

Paraguay sent them out in the last 32. Jonathan Tah thought he had saved them with an extra-time goal, only for it to be ruled out for blocking the goalkeeper. Germany will feel aggrieved, but it should never have come to that against opponents thrashed 4-1 by the U.S. earlier in the tournament.

This follows two straight group-stage exits since their 2014 triumph. Even their old reliability from the spot deserted them — this was their first World Cup shootout defeat. Julian Nagelsmann has since stepped down, leaving a giant in search of direction.

Japan

FIFA ranking: 17

Japan’s World Cup offered flashes of what might be. They played with a collective humility and attacking courage in the group stage that won admirers and had many tipping them to trouble Brazil in the last 32.

They did more than that. Kaishu Sano fired them ahead, and for long stretches they matched Brazil’s intensity. Only an added-time goal broke them.

Injuries to Kaoru Mitoma, Takefusa Kubo and Wataru Endo before and during the tournament blunted their edge. With a full-strength squad, you cannot help but wonder how far this likeable, fearless group might have gone.

Senegal

FIFA ranking: 18

Senegal were 2-0 up on Belgium in the 86th minute of their last-16 tie. Then the floor gave way. A late onslaught, capped by Youri Tielemans’ extra-time penalty, turned a famous victory into a devastating defeat.

The meltdown came just months after they lost their AFCON crown and left several players in tears. It was cruel because Senegal had shown real quality, not least in Ismaila Sarr’s brilliant goal, chested down and thrashed into the net.

They had already pushed France hard in the group stage. For long stretches, they looked like a side capable of going deep. Instead, they fly home wondering how a dream slipped through their fingers in four chaotic minutes.

Ivory Coast

FIFA ranking: 31

Ivory Coast’s World Cup was a glimpse of what might soon be. They exited in the round of 32 with defeats only to Germany and Norway, while beating Ecuador and Curacao to underline their status among the best of the rest.

They brought the youngest squad in the tournament. Amad stood out, scoring a winner against Ecuador and a brilliant solo goal versus Norway. Yan Diomande flashed the kind of talent that could bring a major summer move.

Their flaw was stark: none of their strikers scored. The creative and scoring burden fell almost entirely on Amad and Diomande. Until that changes, they will remain on the outside looking in.

Croatia

FIFA ranking: 13

Croatia’s golden era may finally be fading. After finishing runners-up in 2018 and third in 2022, they bowed out in the round of 32 here, undone late by Portugal.

They had recovered from a 4-2 opening defeat to England in Group L to finish second, beating Panama and Ghana. But when the knockout tension tightened, they could not summon one more deep run.

All eyes now turn to Luka Modric. At 40, the 2018 Ballon d’Or winner may have played his last international match. There will be no replacing him, only learning to live without him.

Sweden

FIFA ranking: 37

Sweden came into this World Cup from a low base, having finished bottom of their qualifying group behind Kosovo, Slovenia and Switzerland without a win. Under Graham Potter, the turnaround has been swift.

They beat Ukraine and Poland in the play-offs to reach the finals, then opened with a 5-1 dismantling of Tunisia and a draw with Japan that suggested they belonged. France ended their journey in the last 32, but there was no shame in that.

With Alexander Isak, Viktor Gyokeres and Anthony Elanga in attack, Sweden have the tools to be far more consistent. The foundations are finally there.

Ecuador

FIFA ranking: 25

Ecuador defended stoutly but never really solved the problem at the other end. Over four games they scored just twice, both in a standout 2-1 win over Germany, and drew a blank against Curacao.

In the knockouts, they could not live with Mexico’s clinical edge. Enner Valencia, at 36, never got going. Their other key men — Moises Caicedo, William Pacho, Piero Hincapie — are all defensive pillars.

Hincapie’s late red card for covering his mouth during a confrontation against Mexico summed up a campaign that flickered but never fully ignited.

Ghana

FIFA ranking: 65

Ghana arrived as the 73rd-ranked side in the world, the second-lowest in the tournament. That always felt misleading. Across four games, they showed it was.

A win over Panama set the tone, and a gritty 0-0 draw with England — in which they were desperately unlucky not to get a late penalty — sealed their passage. Colombia eventually proved too strong in the last 32, and the absence of the injured Mohammed Kudus robbed them of a spark in attack.

Still, this felt like a step forward after years of inconsistency. Ghana leave with a platform rather than a hangover.

Austria

FIFA ranking: 22

Austria clung to the knockout phase by their fingernails, squeezing past Algeria in a dramatic final group game. Once there, Spain swept them aside in the round of 32.

Ralf Rangnick’s team showed they could score — three goals in two separate group matches — but when faced with top-tier opposition, including Argentina, they could neither shut games down nor blow them open.

It was their first World Cup since 1998. The return to the big stage is a positive. The challenge now is to stay there.

Australia

FIFA ranking: 28

Australia landed one of the early thunderclaps of the tournament with a 2-0 win over Turkey and carried their trademark fight all the way to the last 32.

Tony Popovic’s side sat deep, soaked pressure and tried to spring forward at speed. They could not quite replicate the ruthless finishing of their opening game, though they did haul themselves level against Egypt after falling behind.

They ultimately went out on penalties to the same opponents, but back-to-back appearances in the knockouts underline a team that consistently punches above its weight.

Algeria

FIFA ranking: 29

Algeria’s World Cup ended with a whimper. They created little of note in a tame round-of-32 defeat to Switzerland.

There were glimmers. Riyad Mahrez, at 35, finally scored his first World Cup goals. Anis Hadj Moussa, the 24-year-old Feyenoord winger, showed enough to suggest he can take on the mantle.

Yet too many of their key players are either past or not yet at their peak. Compared with fellow African sides Senegal, Ivory Coast and Morocco, Algeria looked a step behind.

DR Congo

FIFA ranking: 41

DR Congo’s second World Cup — their first as DR Congo after appearing as Zaire in 1974 — delivered a breakthrough: a place in the knockouts as one of nine African nations to reach the last 32.

A draw with Portugal and a win over Uzbekistan in Group K sent them through as a best third-placed team. Against England in the last 32, they struck first through Brian Cipenga and, for a while, rattled the favourites. Goalkeeper Lionel Mpasi seemed poised to join Vozinha and Eloy Room among the cult heroes of the tournament before England finally found a way past him.

They left a strong impression. This did not feel like a one-off.

Bosnia and Herzegovina

FIFA ranking: 61

Bosnia and Herzegovina’s World Cup will always carry a line of pride: their first knockout appearance as an independent nation. A win over Qatar and a draw with Canada got them there.

Defeat to the United States ended the run, but the wider story still matters. This is the team that knocked Italy out in UEFA’s World Cup play-offs. They arrived by the hard road and left with their heads high.

South Africa

FIFA ranking: 54

South Africa were not supposed to be here, not really. After losing their opener to Mexico, few believed they would escape the group. They did, and reached the knockouts for the first time.

There, they pushed the co-hosts to the brink, only to concede in stoppage time and fall just short of extra time — and the lottery of penalties. Hugo Broos departs as the oldest man to coach a team in a World Cup knockout match, leaving behind a campaign defined by resilience and near-miss drama.

Iran

FIFA ranking: 21

Iran leave the tournament without losing a game and with a sense of deep injustice. In their final group match against Egypt, they had an added-time winner ruled out for a marginal offside, then struck the crossbar even later.

A win would have guaranteed progress. Instead, they were left sweating on other results, hoping that three points and a neutral goal difference would be enough. For a few minutes, it was: when Algeria scored a stoppage-time goal in their final group match, Iran were going through. Austria’s last-gasp equaliser flipped the script and knocked them out.

All this while navigating the strain of being in military conflict with co-hosts the United States, flying in and out of the country around matches until that plan was scrapped. To be eliminated unbeaten will sting for a long time.

New Zealand

FIFA ranking: 86

New Zealand’s return to the World Cup for the first time since 2010 brought a new name to global attention: Elijah Just, scorer of three goals and the bright spark of their campaign. Chris Wood’s deft touches in the opener against Iran also left a mark.

After that encouraging start, they were overwhelmed by the quality of Egypt and Belgium, losing heavily to both. Still, they played their part, with Tim Payne becoming a minor viral sensation.

The next step is clear. New Zealand want to reach the knockouts for the first time. This felt like a tentative stride in that direction.

Turkey

FIFA ranking: 27

Turkey were among the tournament’s great disappointments. Many expected them to progress ahead of Australia and Paraguay. Instead, they were gone with a game to spare.

A 3-2 win over the United States in their final match at least spared some blushes, delivering their first goals of the tournament. By then, though, the damage was long done.

Uruguay

FIFA ranking: 19

Uruguay backed themselves into a corner. Draws with Saudi Arabia and Cape Verde left them needing a result against Spain in their final group game. They never looked close to getting it.

This is a team that finished level on points with Brazil and Colombia in qualifying, but they never hit that level here. A goalkeeping error and a red card summed up their self-destruction. Marcelo Bielsa’s side imploded in a campaign that promised so much more.

Saudi Arabia

FIFA ranking: 58

Saudi Arabia regressed from their 2018 and 2022 showings, when they at least won a group match. They have still only reached the knockouts once, back in 1994.

Yet they were stubborn opponents, taking two draws and proving hard to beat. With the rapid development of their domestic league and a home World Cup to come in 2034, the expectation is that this is a staging post rather than a ceiling.

South Korea

FIFA ranking: 32

South Korea started brightly, beating the Czech Republic 2-1, and then faded badly. Back-to-back defeats to Mexico and South Africa without scoring left them on three points and minus one goal, not enough to sneak through as a best third-placed side.

It marked a step back from 2022, when they advanced ahead of Uruguay and Ghana. Captain Son Heung-min struggled to impose himself and was dropped from the starting XI for the final game. A sobering campaign.

Scotland

FIFA ranking: 42

Scotland’s long-awaited World Cup return — 28 years in the making — ended with a familiar ache. Their fate was sealed by other results, and Steve Clarke resigned after seven years in charge.

A win over Haiti gave them three points, but a bruising 3-0 defeat to Brazil left them with a minus-three goal difference, not enough to progress as one of the best third-placed teams. For a nation that had waited so long just to be here, going out at the first hurdle will hurt.

Curacao

FIFA ranking: 82

Curacao, the smallest nation ever to grace a World Cup, leave with more than just memories. They took a point off Ecuador thanks to goalkeeper Eloy Room’s heroics and celebrated a first World Cup goal through Livano Comenencia.

A 7-1 opening defeat to Germany threatened humiliation, but they rallied to give a much better account of themselves against Ivory Coast. For a debutant with limited resources, this was a campaign of pride and proof they belonged.

Czech Republic

FIFA ranking: 48

The Czech Republic fought through a brutal European qualification path, beating the Republic of Ireland and Denmark to get here. Once they arrived, they fell flat.

A draw with South Africa was their only point. They went into their final group game needing a win over Mexico and were brushed aside 3-0, finishing bottom of Group A. After so much effort to reach the finals, the underperformance will sting.

Uzbekistan

FIFA ranking: 60

Uzbekistan’s first World Cup ended without a point, but not without moments. They battled Colombia and even led against DR Congo.

They also shared the stage with Cristiano Ronaldo in what will surely be his last World Cup appearance, watching him score at a sixth edition in Portugal’s 5-0 win. Fabio Cannavaro’s presence in the dugout could not fix a leaky defence that shipped 11 goals in three games.

The lesson was harsh: simply competing is not enough at this level.

Panama

FIFA ranking: 44

Panama leave as the only team at this World Cup not to score, but that bare fact hides some grit. They were already eliminated when they faced England and lost 2-0, yet they stayed organised and awkward.

Narrow 1-0 defeats to Ghana and Croatia represented an improvement on 2018, when they conceded 11 goals. If they can bolt on a little more attacking punch, there is a base to build from.

Jordan

FIFA ranking: 73

Jordan’s debut World Cup ended early, eliminated with a game to spare after defeats to Austria and Algeria. They at least found the net in all three matches, including against Argentina in their final outing.

What they could not do was smother opponents as effectively as some of the other debutants, many of whom leaned on outstanding goalkeeping. Jordan lacked that safety net and paid the price.

Haiti

FIFA ranking: 88

Haiti played with a kind of liberated abandon once elimination was confirmed. Against Morocco, they went toe-to-toe in a 4-2 defeat, with Sunderland’s Wilson Isidor scoring a goal that will live long in Haitian football memory.

This was their first World Cup since 1974. With a kinder draw — not featuring two top-10 nations in Morocco and Brazil — they will hope to return and make a deeper dent.

Qatar

FIFA ranking: 59

Qatar’s tournament unravelled fast. After an encouraging opening draw with Switzerland, Julen Lopetegui watched his side implode in a 6-0 defeat to Canada that featured two red cards and ranked among the worst displays of the group stage.

A 3-1 loss to Bosnia and Herzegovina sealed their exit. They never recovered the composure of that first match and failed to build on their home World Cup experience from 2022.

Iraq

FIFA ranking: 63

Iraq were outgunned. Drawn against teams led by Haaland and Mbappe, they never got close to their group rivals.

Their highlight was captain Aymen Hussein’s goal against Norway, scored shortly after he had been held for hours by U.S. immigration officials on arrival. Any hope of a late surge died with an early goal conceded to Senegal and a red card soon after. They closed their first World Cup since 1986 with a 5-0 defeat.

Tunisia

FIFA ranking: 57

Tunisia endured a miserable World Cup from start to finish. A 5-1 hammering by Sweden in their opener cost Sabri Lamouchi his job, but Herve Renard could not stem the tide.

Heavy defeats to Japan and the Netherlands followed. They finished with a minus-10 goal difference, better only than Iraq. For a nation used to competing, this was a harsh reckoning — and a line in the sand before the next cycle begins.