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The Guardian - US
The Guardian - US
Sport
Will Unwin

World Cup 2026 power rankings: France still kings but who has climbed 26 places?

World Cup France Lionel Messi Mauricio Pochettino Brian Brobbey Christian Pulisic Cristiano Ronaldo England Erling Haaland Johan Manzambi
A collage showing Pochettino, Messi in Argentina's number 10 jersey, Manzambi in Switzerland's kit, and Vozinha in goal
Mauricio Pochettino, Lionel Messi, Johan Manzambi, and Vozinha have all played prominent roles in the World Cup so far. Composite: Getty Images, Guardian design

1) France (no change from pre-World Cup ranking)

It took a little over an hour for Kylian Mbappé to find his groove. Irked by a poor refereeing decision, he scored twice in France’s opener against Senegal. Ably supported by a stunning cast, Mbappé will already have his sights on winning the competition. Michael Olise has shown his class throughout, while Ousmane Dembélé dazzled with a hat-trick against Norway. We’ll see if anyone can stop Didier Deschamps’ team.

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