playJames TylerOct 7, 2026, 04:54 AM ETCloseJames Tyler is an ESPN editor for soccer.Multiple AuthorsOpen Extended ReactionsIt has been 79 days since the 2026 World Cup ended, with Spain beating Argentina to claim their second title. How are we going to make it four years until the next edition? By doing another Power Rankings, of course.As we did at several points before and during the 2026 World Cup — from 100 days out to right after the tournament — we’re looking at how our global reporters feel about the teams from a contenders vs. pretenders perspective. But this time, we’re looking to the future, a full World Cup qualifying cycle ahead, to rank the top end of the field in 2030.Our panel of 19 reporters and editors was asked to rank the entire FIFA landscape from No. 1 (meaning the trophy is theirs) to No. 15 (the cool outsider’s pick for a tournament shock), with their ballots compiled into the collective ranking below.ESPN FC’s World Cup 2030 Way-Too-Early Power Rankings1.
SPAIN- FIFA rank (as of Oct. 6): 1 – International break results: defeated England 3-2; defeated Croatia 4-1; defeated Czechia 3-1; defeated Croatia 2-1 (UEFA Nations League) – Next opponent: at Czechia (Nov. 15; UEFA Nations League)Considering the steady hum of results and brilliance out of La Roja, I sense top spot is theirs until the next major tournament, and our voters seem to agree, awarding a whopping 18 of 19 first-place votes to Luis de la Fuente’s squad. They continue to earn our confidence, though, taking nothing for granted.The four-game set in Nations League qualifying ran the gamut: they fell behind 1-0 to England but rallied to win 3-2, nearly doubling the Three Lions’ xG (3.12 to 1.74) and showing their composure under adversity. From there, a pair of easy wins over Croatia and Czechia extended their unbeaten run to 40 games, with Lamine Yamal netting four times over that span. Then on Tuesday, they rallied from a goal down to beat Croatia thanks to a pair of goals from — of course — defensive midfielder/part-time center forward Mikel Merino, who has carried his scoring form from Arsenal over to the national team.On this form, it will take a lot to dethrone them.2.
FRANCE- FIFA rank: 3 – International break results: defeated Türkiye 1-0; defeated Belgium 1-0; drew 1-1 vs. Italy; defeated Belgium 4-1 (UEFA Nations League) – Next opponent: at Italy (Nov. 12; UEFA Nations League)play1:39Leboeuf: Olise and France looked unstoppableLes Bleus officially began their new era under coach Zinedine Zidane, fresh in the role after the national team’s decade-plus run of excellence under Didier Deschamps, though it wasn’t the smoothest window. That said, they snagged the sole first-place vote that didn’t end up in Spain’s count, and it’s largely down to the talent and potential their settled squad has under the mercurial Zidane.A narrow win over Türkiye — and a brief Kylian Mbappé injury scare — opened their four-game set, with Michael Olise (a trendy pick for the 2026 Ballon d’Or) then netting late with a superb individual effort to sneak a win in Belgium. Another sublime Olise goal should have led to victory over Italy until Adrien Rabiot’s ill-judged pass led to the Azzurri equalizer, denying Zidane a first home win as manager, but normal service resumed with a 4-1 win over Belgium in Paris to keep them in charge of their Nations League group.There is something slightly off about them in these early days under Zidane, and it’s not lost on their rivals that it took three second-half subs and all four goals coming after the 77th minute in their final game of the window.
While their strength in depth is to be admired and envied in equal measure, Belgium’s commitment to the counter-attack nearly paid off.Are teams figuring out how to play against them? It’s something Zidane will want to remedy before a pair of Nations League fixtures in November.3. ENGLAND- FIFA rank: 4 – International break results: lost 3-2 to Spain; defeated Czechia 2-0; defeated Croatia 7-0; defeated Czechia 3-0 (UEFA Nations League) – Next opponent: vs. Croatia (Nov. 12; UEFA Nations League)play0:52Nicol: England must keep their winning mentalityEngland have been in a weird funk since their oh-so-promising, it’s-nearly-coming-home World Cup ended in predictably heartbreaking fashion against Argentina, with this string of games offering them a chance to rebuild confidence for challenges to come.
It wasn’t even certain that Thomas Tuchel would stick around as coach, but all that uncertainty was sloughed off over a tidy international break.Our voters still don’t see them in the same bracket as Spain and France, but results had them head-and-shoulders above the next tier of teams, and it’s not hard to see why. Yes, they let a 2-1 half-time lead slip against the World Cup champs at Wembley, but they rallied with some of their best play from there. Putting seven goals past Croatia was eye-opening, as was the rampant manner they raced to a 4-0 half-time lead.As always with England, the biggest question is how they carry their incandescent form during qualifiers or friendlies into coherent, consistent tournament play. Right now, that’s the thing keeping them from world soccer’s top table.4.
PORTUGAL- FIFA rank: 5 – International break results: defeated Wales 1-0; defeated Norway 2-1; defeated Denmark 4-2; defeated Norway 2-1 (UEFA Nations League) – Next opponent: vs. Denmark (Nov. 14; UEFA Nations League)Portugal didn’t have a great World Cup — Cristiano Ronaldo was largely a hindrance in the XI rather than an asset — and that theme has continued into Nations League group play. New manager Jorge Jesus, who coached CR7 in the Saudi Pro League, has seemingly upset the tarnished talisman so much that he practically flew home in the middle of the night after being an unused sub against Norway and then issued a five-page statement basically demanding a new coach before he returns to the fold.A bold move, indeed — certainly bolder than anything he did at this summer’s World Cup.play1:42Robson: Ronaldo could have left Portugal team four years agoBut here’s the thing: would anyone be that upset if he didn’t come back? Results show that they can win without him, and they remain fourth in our ranking on raw talent and recent results.
A pair of 2-1 wins over Erling Haaland’s Norway capped a perfect window … except for Ronaldo’s latest hissy fit.5. ARGENTINA- FIFA rank: 5 – International break results: defeated Bolivia 4-0; defeated Burkina Faso 7-0; defeated Benin 3-0 (friendlies/exhibition games) – Next opponent: TBDThe World Cup runners-up have had a weird international break, with punishments carried over from the disgraceful scenes in this summer’s showpiece final — including several lengthy player suspensions — complicating their plans to give Lionel Messi a proper farewell at this level.Messi, who has won everything there is to win in the sport, announced his retirement from the national team in a teary-eyed Instagram post not long after the death of his father, and Tuesday night’s friendly against Benin in Buenos Aires was devised as an emotional curtain call for one of the game’s all-time greats. Fittingly, he notched two more assists and scored a 70th-minute penalty amid a raucous, convivial atmosphere there to celebrate a truly remarkable career.Results mean little to this team right now considering they’ve no World Cup qualification to worry about — they’re in as co-hosts despite hosting just one game, thanks to FIFA’s convoluted plans for the centennial edition — but every window is a chance to figure out what this team’s next generation looks like. So far, it seems to revolve all around Lautaro Martínez, who notched two goals and two assists in the three-game set, but there’s sufficient buzz around budding playmaker Nico Paz to think that this team will figure it out between now and June 2030.play1:10Hislop: Messi’s World Cup final run ‘underlines his legacy’6.
BRAZIL- FIFA rank: 6 – Int
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