It’s the quadrennial question every football nation faces, what matters more: talent or form? With the 2026 FIFA World Cup drawing closer, ESPN has decided not to choose between them. Instead, it created a balanced ranking based on both.
Using Transfermarkt’s estimated player values as a measure of talent and World Football Elo Ratings for recent performance, ESPN assessed all 87 countries still mathematically alive in the qualification race. The result is a revealing snapshot of global football strength and momentum heading into next summer’s showpiece in North America.
At the top of the list sits France, boasting unmatched squad depth and world-class firepower led by Kylian Mbappé. Spain and England follow closely, with both nations already qualified and displaying consistency in performance and player development. Brazil, Portugal, and Argentina complete the top six, each balancing elite talent with continental success.
African giants Morocco, Senegal, and Nigeria rank high among the continent’s best, while Japan, South Korea, and Australia represent Asia’s leading forces.
All 87 National Teams Still in Contention for the 2026 FIFA World Cup
1. France
2. Spain
3. England (qualified)
4. Portugal
5. Brazil
6. Netherlands
7. Argentina
8. Italy
9. Germany
10. Belgium
11. Croatia
12. Norway
13. Switzerland
14. Turkey
15. Sweden
16. Colombia (qualified)
17. Uruguay (qualified)
18. Denmark
19. Austria
20. Morocco (qualified)
21. Nigeria
22. United States (qualified)
23. Japan (qualified)
24. Ecuador (qualified)
25. Senegal (qualified)
26. Mexico (qualified)
27. Ukraine
28. South Korea (qualified)
29. Czech Republic
30. Chile
31. Poland
32. Hungary
33. Scotland
34. Serbia
35. Algeria
36. Canada (qualified)
37. Egypt
38. Ghana
39. Tunisia
40. Paraguay (qualified)
41. Romania
42. Australia (qualified)
43. Venezuela
44. Cameroon
45. Ivory Coast
46. South Africa
47. Saudi Arabia (qualified)
48. Iran (qualified)
49. Panama (qualified)
50. Costa Rica
51. Honduras
52. Uzbekistan
53. Georgia
54. Slovakia
55. Finland
56. Jamaica (qualified)
57. Bolivia
58. Bosnia and Herzegovina
59. North Macedonia
60. Kuwait
61. Jordan (qualified)
62. Oman
63. China
64. Bahrain
65. DR Congo
66. Uganda
67. Zambia
68. Cape Verde (qualified)
69. New Zealand
70. Haiti
71. Gabon
72. Guinea
73. Qatar (qualified)
74. Togo
75. Benin
76. Kenya
77. Madagascar
78. Mauritania
79. Lebanon
80. Palestine
81. Kazakhstan
82. Luxembourg
83. Cyprus
84. Tanzania
85. Eswatini
86. Liechtenstein
87. Moldova
Interestingly, ESPN highlights nations punching above their weight, like Jordan, Cape Verde, and Ecuador, all of whom have already sealed qualification despite modest squad values.
At the other end, Moldova anchor the rankings, still clinging to faint playoff hopes despite losing all their qualifiers. Similarly, Benin and Haiti remain outsiders with slim mathematical chances.
From world champions to surprise qualifiers, the 87 names reflect football’s evolving balance, proof that in World Cup qualifying, form and fortune can matter just as much as talent.