The 2026 FIFA World Cup has come to an end, with Spain lifting football’s most prestigious trophy. Luis de la Fuente’s side entered the tournament as one of the favorites after their triumph at UEFA Euro 2024, and they lived up to those expectations by capturing their second World Cup title, adding to the one they won in South Africa in 2010. Now, the focus shifts to the future. With the 2026 World Cup in the books, it’s time to look ahead and assess what the next four years could hold for the teams that competed in the summer. Which nations are best positioned to improve? Which powers could take a step back? And which emerging sides have what it takes to become genuine contenders by the time the 2030 World Cup kicks off? Here are our early rankings as the road to the next tournament begins now:
14
Germany
12
Paraguay
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Rk
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Teams
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Chg
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Rcrd
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1 |
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The 2026 world champions. Luis de la Fuente’s squad combines experience, talent, and youth, with stars like Pau Cubarsi and Lamine Yamal set to be only 23 years old at the 2030 World Cup. Spain have the potential to dominate world football for years. | 3 | |
2 |
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The 2026 World Cup marked the end of the chapter led by Didier Deschamps. A new era under Zinedine Zidane is now about to start and there are big chances to see them replicating the success of the past years. The semifinal between France and Spain was probably the one that determined the winner of this edition. We can expect a similar one in 2030. | 1 | |
3 |
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Once again, England missed their chance. They had a strong tournament under Thomas Tuchel but after losing two European finals in three years, the Three Lions were not able to bring the World Cup home, a trophy they only won once in 1966. Tuchel is expected to lead the team at least until the 2028 Euros that will be hosted by England and Ireland but there is a strong chance he won’t be leading them at the next World Cup. | — | |
4 |
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It was probably the biggest disappointment of the summer as they were eliminated by Paraguay in the round of 32 but Germany have already started to work on the new cycle and will appoint former Liverpool coach Jurgen Klopp as the new manager of the national team. Under Klopp, they will be back. | 14 | |
5 |
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If the 2022 edition, when they only lost to France in the semifinal, was a surprise for many, the 2026 edition made us realize they are a strong candidate and can even improve. They will also co-host the 2030 World Cup alongside Spain and Portugal, providing an extra source of motivation to continue their rise on the international stage. | 1 | |
6 |
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There were so many expectations around this team and were eliminated by Morocco in the round of 16. Too many expectations? Maybe, but they could do better with the talents they have in the roster. | 13 | |
7 |
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The other winners of the 2026 World Cup, especially thanks to their incredible fans. They showed to be a fun side but also tough to beat. Their success was no coincidence as this is a group with the quality, mentality, and foundations to build a legacy in the years to come. | 2 | |
8 |
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Another team that have already declared a new coach — Jorge Jesus will have the challenging task of leading this team without Cristiano Ronaldo, who is likely to announce his retirement before the next World Cup. | 1 | |
9 |
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Carlo Ancelotti’s mission started last year and the first major tournament didn’t provide the result he was hoping, as Brazil were eliminated by Norway in the round of 16. They may not have possessed a squad as talented as the great teams of the past, but this tournament felt like the start of a new chapter. There are clear signs of progress, yet the next step is turning that promise into results, with strong performances at the Copa America and, ultimately, a deeper run at the 2030 World Cup. | 1 | |
10 |
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It may be hard to admit, but a decline by 2030 seems likely. Lionel Messi is not expected to be part of the squad, while head coach Lionel Scaloni is also widely expected to step down at the end of the year. If Argentina reached the final this summer, much of the credit belongs to the Inter Miami striker, whose influence remained decisive throughout the tournament. | 8 | |
11 |
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Colombia proved to be one of the most interesting sides of the tournament. Luis Diaz has been one of the most underrated players of the season. | — | |
12 |
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Disciplined talented and hungry for more, this is a team that could make waves in the years to come. Watch out. | 8 | |
13 |
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There was a lot of pressure on the USMNT and Mauricio Pochettino but they delivered at the end, only losing in the round of 16 against Belgium. This is a team that can improve, and some players like Folarin Balogun and Christian Pulisic should lead the way, but it’s unlikely to see Mauricio Pochettino leading them at the next World Cup. | — | |
14 |
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As always, they’re the team that everyone seems to overlook, yet they always find a way to be there when it matters most. It’s a mistake we’ve made time and time again and one we shouldn’t repeat heading into the 2030 World Cup. | 7 | |
15 |
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They probably deserved even more than losing in the round of 16 against England, in one of the most exciting matches of the tournament. They have already decided to continue with their project and declared Rafa Marquez as the new coach. | 3 | |
16 |
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The best story of the tournament. Drew in their opening game against Spain. We are all happy we had the chance to know them and their goalkeeper, Vozinha, who became the star of the 2026 World Cup. | 1 | |
17 |
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It’s interesting to see that they performed better with less pressure compared to the most recent years. Striker Charles De Ketelaere has been impressing and the Red Devils can count on him. | 9 | |
18 |
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They managed to qualify thanks to the playoffs and their UEFA rankings, as they failed to win a single game in the group qualifiers. The next years under Graham Potter need to be much different and linear, as he can count on players such as Viktor Gyokeres and Yasin Ayari, probably the two best players of their World Cup. | 3 | |
19 |
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While the attention of the world was on Argentina and Brazil, the South American side performed one of the best runs of the tournament. This is a team that can improve more. | 6 | |
20 |
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Their impressive run came to an end in the round of 16 with a defeat to Belgium, but they bowed out after one of the most thrilling and entertaining matches of the entire World Cup. | 4 | |
21 |
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The last World Cup of Luka Modric has been emotional. It’s difficult to imagine their team without the Ballon d’Or winner. | 2 | |
22 |
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Marcelo Bielsa was one of the disappointments of the tournament. The feeling is that they need something new and a different coach as well to start off a new cycle. | 14 | |
23 |
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They can take pride in a campaign that showcased a competitive side. This was another step forward rather than the end of the road. | 11 | |
24 |
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Some of the players on this team will lead the team in the future and are world-class level, starting with Yan Diomande. | 2 | |
25 |
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It will be strange not to see Mo Salah representing his team at the World Cup again. He will be missed for sure. | 11 | |
26 |
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The project led by Jesse Marsch has a future, and there are some players who can lead them to another exciting World Cup after playing their first-ever knockout game this summer. | 10 | |
27 |
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What a surprise. They have a lot to carry from the World Cup for the years to come. | 12 | |
28 |
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The group stage was challenging, and also facing Colombia in the knockouts. The next four-year cycle will be crucial as they look to build around a new generation of talent and return to being a consistent force in Africa. | 1 | |
29 |
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What a disappointment. The big question now is who will step up and take the leadership role after Son Heung-min’s retirement. | 4 | |
30 |
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There was a widespread belief that Ralf Rangnick’s project was further along in its development. He has more time now to make it happen. | 4 | |
31 |
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They had to go through a lot of challenges. Hopefully in 2030 we will only write and talk about the sport. | 4 | |
32 |
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What a story: Eliminated Italy at the playoffs and then only lost to the United States in the round of 32. | 2 | |
33 |
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A piece of advice for the next World Cup: they need to avoid repeating the same mistakes. They sacked their coach after the opening match, but the change didn’t bring any real improvement. | 12 | |
34 |
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After an impressive qualification campaign, they did what they could at the tournament, but this is a team with the potential to improve significantly over the next four-year cycle. | 5 | |
35 |
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Bafana Bafana, what a story! Nobody expected them to make their first-ever qualification to the knockouts. These are the teams we want to see at the World Cup. | 7 | |
36 |
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Julian Lopetegui has taken them a step forward, but this project will probably need more time to fully develop. | 1 | |
37 |
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The 2030 edition will be crucial for them because it will be the last one before 2034 when they will host the World Cup. They need more stability and a manager who can improve things. | 1 | |
38 |
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Their first participation at the World Cup since the 1974 edition was historic and that draw against Portugal will stay forever in our hearts. After such performances, we hope to see them again in 2030. | 7 | |
39 |
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Their first appearance since the 2006 World Cup could have been more exciting, to be fair. | 2 | |
40 |
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Ending up in the top 32 was still a big achievement for them and we saw things improving that can make us think a lot of good things for the next years. | 8 | |
41 |
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We could definitely expect more from Vincenzo Montella’s side. They were eliminated in the group stage after defeats to Australia and Paraguay, before salvaging some pride with a victory over the United States in their final group match. | 2 | |
42 |
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They improved significantly compared to their previous World Cup appearance. Their opening draw against Iran was one of the biggest surprises of the tournament, but they were unable to maintain that level of performance against Egypt and Belgium. | 2 | |
43 |
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First World Cup and had to face Portugal and Colombia in the group stage. Fabio Cannavaro’s team made history anyway. | — | |
44 |
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They did better compared to the 2018 World Cup, but that wasn’t too challenging. | — | |
45 |
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One thing they need to improve is to avoid conceding 12 goals in three matches at the next tournament. | 3 | |
46 |
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Unlucky to face Scotland, Morocco and Brazil in the group stage: A great story that will remain in our memory forever. | — | |
47 |
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Scoring against Lionel Messi’s Argentina will forever remain one of the greatest moments in this team’s history and a proud milestone for the country. | — | |
48 |
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First World Cup, first draw at the World Cup and first goal scored against Germany. We would love to see them back. | — |
