Here is my listing of the best teams in World Cup 2026 after the first round of Group matches. In completing these rankings I take nothing from the historical traditions of the countries and their respective teams, nor FIFA's pre-tournament rankings. I only rank based upon what I have seen on-the-field. And since outcomes are paramount, all teams that are 1-0 will be ranked ahead of all teams that drew, and subsequently those teams will be ranked ahead of all of the teams that lost their first games. Record matters. So, as the games progress, this will be an incredibly fluid ranking system. After round 1, here are the best performing teams in the World Cup.
But before we get to the rankings, I wanted to share my Top 15 list of things to happen during the first set of group games.
15. Japan's team and fans cleaning their own locker rooms and stadiums after the games. This would have been A LOT higher if we haven't seen it before at EVERY Olympics, World Cup, World Baseball Classic, and literally EVERYTHING! Still deserves a spot in this list.
14. Europeans and others Christopher Columbusing America on social media - Costco, Buccee's, Waffle House, Whattaburger, Chipotle, WalMart, Chick-fil-A, KFC and Raisin' Cane's, etc. Freddie from Germany is the most well-known but you can just look up anybody!
13. Tyler and Jenny Bindon. Tyler, a defender for New Zealand and Nottingham Forest, may not have the world clout of teammate Chris Wood, but he - along with his mother Jenny - became the first Mother-Son Duo to appear in the World Cup, after Jenny manned the pipes as the goalkeeper for New Zealand in 2007 and 2011.
12. Gio Reyna's goal for the United States. If the goal was more important - say to tie the game or take the lead - this would be A LOT higher. But as it is, it is very important given Reyna's history with the USMNT and what happened last World Cup. Sports Illustrated encapsulates that history HERE.
11. The Scotland traveling fan base - The Tartan Army - DRANK BOSTON BARS OUT OF BEER!!! Well, not Bud Light, but all of Sam Adams Boston Lager and many other better beers!!! Scotland plays agains tomorrow at Foxborough Stadium. Hope there was a re-stock!!!
10. And speaking of the Tartan Army, one member joined this Boston street performer for a Cross-Cultural Duet that Just Slaps!
9. Other fan bases have also taken over the cities where their teams are playing, but some of them have targets other than their team's opponents. I wonder who is the target of Australia's chants? "He's fat. He's old. He likes them 12-years old"! "Aussie blokes are on a bender. Donald Trump is a sex offender!" And not to be outdone by their younger brother, Great Britain's fans have chimed in with, "He's fat, with piles. He's in the Epstein files. Trump the cuuuunt, Trump the cuuuunt!"
8. "Where in the World Cup is Jameis Winston" is a fantastic segment during this World Cup. He has been spotted with Croatian fans calling himself Jameisovic Winstonivic; cleaning the stadium with Japanese fans (See #15), bringing a Goat dressed as Lionel Messi to the Argentina game, and marching the Oranje Walk with the Dutch fans! Jameis Winston is a National Treasure!
7. After about 10 to 15 minutes of complete build-up, where it seemed like Ghana was destined to score a goal, with seemingly its only opponent being the clock, Caleb Yirenkyi, who had been playing most of the game on a yellow card earned in the 16th minute, scored in the 90 +6th minute of the game to cause Toronto Stadium to just explode as the Black Stars defeated Panama 1-0. The tension, anticipation of what seemed like a pre-destined goal, and then the exuberance when it happened was simply palpable.
6. The Tartan Army is back here again, this time taking over Fenway Park with their own chants and songs, like Super John McGinn, Yes Sir I Can Boogie and 5000 Miles, as well as Baseball Classics like Take Me Out to the Ball Game, and Fenway staple Sweet Caroline. And I just found out Scotland's last group stage game is against Brazil in the Artist Formerly Known as Hard Rock Stadium, Formerly Known as Sun Life Stadium, Formerly Known as Land Shark Stadium, Formerly Known as Dolphin Stadium, Formerly Known as Dolphins Stadium, Formerly Known as Pro Player Stadium and Formerly Known as Joe Robbie Stadium. LONG LIVE THE TARTAN ARMY!!!
5. Stars Shine. Lionel Messi with a hat trick. Braces from Kylian Mbappe, Harry Kane and Erling Haaland, a goal and an assist from Luis Diaz. Even defender Virgil van Dijk scored a goal. The stars showed out in the first set of games. Except for Cristiano Ronaldo, who failed to score as Portugal drew with the Democratic Republic of the Congo 1-1.
4. And speaking of the Democratic Republic of the Congo - Portugal game, a watch party was held in Praca do Comercio, the main plaza in Lisbon, Portugal (a place which is amazing by the way). Watch what happens when YOANE WISSA ties the game up 1-1 just before halftime after Jaoa Neves shot the Portuguese into an early lead at the 6th minute.
3. No fan base can outdo Norway's, especially when they perform the VIKING ROW!!!
2. Except maybe the Tartan Army, that collects donations for every location to which they travel for Scotland's games. They have donated over $10,000 to Hasbro's Children's Hospital in Providence, Rhode Island, $10,000 for grassroots soccer programs for underprivileged children in the Providence area, $6500 to the Rhode Island Highlanders Pipe Band to teach children to play the bagpipes, and $1,300 to Horizons for Homeless Children - a Boston based charity. This is actually number 1, except I had to have number 1 actually be about on the field play.
1. And the number 1 spot goes to Vozinha Dias, the goalkeeper for Cabo Verde, who at age 40 and after a journeyman professional career, made 7 saves - many of them of the spectacular variety - to preserve a 0-0 draw with one of the World Cup favorites Spain. His Instagram page went from 40,000 followers to over 12.1 million!!!! Well-earned Vozinha. Well-earned.
And now to the team rankings!
