World Ranking 2026: 64 National Teams Aspiring to the Title, Analysis and Favorites

The 2026 World Cup is approaching! With 39 teams already qualified along with the three host countries (United States, Mexico, and Canada), the excitement is growing. There are six places left to be defined, with 22 teams fighting for a spot: 16 from UEFA, two from CONCACAF, and one each from Asia, Oceania, Africa, and South America. Of the 209 teams that started the journey, only 64 keep hope alive. Here’s the ranking of the 64 national teams with a chance to lift the trophy. This analysis is based on two fundamental pillars: the estimated market value of each player, taken from Transfermarkt, and the Elo ratings from World Football, which consider results, the location of the match, the quality of the opponent, and the competitiveness of the encounter.

Alofoke Deportes Ranking

• 64. New Caledonia

Without players with an estimated market value in their current squad.

• 63. Suriname
• 62. Curaçao (Classified)
• 61. Qatar (Classified)

Despite being one of the qualified teams with the lowest market value and low Elo rating, Qatar could surprise in the December draw.

• 60. South Africa (Qualified)
• 59. Haiti (Qualified)
• 58. Cape Verde (Qualified)
• 57. New Zealand (Qualified)
• 56. Iraq
• 55. Jamaica
• 54. Jordan (Qualified)
• 53. Saudi Arabia (Qualified)
• 52. North Macedonia
• 51. Bosnia and Herzegovina
• 50. Bolivia
• 49. Northern Ireland
• 48. Ghana (Qualified)

Ghana, despite its ranking, surprisingly failed to qualify for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations. Despite having outstanding players like Antoine Semenyo and Mohammed Kudus, their long travels to play could affect their performance.

• 47. Tunisia (Qualified)
• 46. Romania
• 45. Panama (Qualified)
• 44. Iran (Qualified)
• 43. Albania
• 42. Congo DR
• 41. Australia (Qualified)
• 40. Uzbekistan (Qualified)

Uzbekistan, with a strong defense, an attack led by Eldor Shomurodov and the direction of Fabio Cannavaro, has proven to be a difficult rival. Their draw against South Korea in the Asian qualifying phase is proof of this.

• 39. Egypt (Classified)
• 38. Czech Republic
• 37. Slovakia
• 36. Kosovo
• 35. United States (Classified)

Mauricio Pochettino analyzes the progress of the USMNT and looks towards the 2026 World Cup.

• 34. Wales
• 33. South Korea (Qualified)
• 32. Republic of Ireland

Ireland, with a defensive and direct style of play, could be a complicated opponent. Despite their defensive talent, their lack of offensive power could limit their performance.

Craig Burley celebrates Ireland’s incredible victory that secured them a place in the World Cup play-offs.

• 31. Paraguay (Qualified)
• 30. Poland
• 29. Canada (Qualified)
• 28. Algeria (Qualified)
• 27. Ivory Coast (Qualified)
• 26. Uruguay (Qualified)
• 25. Scotland (Qualified)

Craig Burley gives advice to the Scottish national team, recalling his goal in the 1998 World Cup.

• 24. Mexico (Classified)
• 23. Austria (Classified)
• 22. Japan (Classified)
• 21. Ukraine
• 20. Switzerland (Classified)
• 19. Croatia (Classified)

Despite the veteran status of players like Luka Modric and Ivan Perisic, Croatia remains a competitive team. Modric, with an exceptional performance, continues to be key in midfield.

• 18. Morocco (Qualified)
• 17. Turkey
• 16. Senegal (Qualified)
• 15. Ecuador (Qualified)
• 14. Colombia (Qualified)

The alignment between overall talent and team performance is key. Ecuador and Colombia, for example, exceed expectations thanks to their good performance on the field.

• 13. Sweden
• 12. Denmark
• 11. Belgium (Qualified)
• 10. Norway (Qualified)

Norway, with Erling Haaland and Martin Odegaard at the helm, could be a surprise in the tournament.

• 9. Argentina (Qualified)
• 8. Germany (Qualified)

Shaka Hislop celebrates Germany’s great triumph, highlighting Florian Wirtz’s excellent performance.

• 7. Italy

Italy, after its victory in the 2020 European Championship, has had a disappointing performance. The lack of goals and the absence of a superstar in attack are its main weaknesses.

• 6. Netherlands (Qualified)
• 5. Portugal (Qualified)

Despite Cristiano Ronaldo’s age, Portugal remains a team to be reckoned with.

• 4. Brazil (Qualified)
• 3. Spain (Qualified)
• 2. France (Qualified)
• 1. England (Qualified)

England, with a squad full of stars like Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham, demonstrated its potential during the qualifying phase, without conceding goals in its matches.