The first round of matches are over in the FIFA World Cup 2026 and the tournament has already produced few sensational matches. From Morocco holding Brazil to a 1-1 draw to Lionel Messi scoring his first World Cup hat-trick, there was no dearth of entertaining moments.
Favourites like France, England and Germany all registered big wins while Spain, Netherlands and Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal dropped points against less-fancied opponents. Here’s a look at the top 10 teams at the end of the first round matches in the FIFA World Cup 2026 –
1. France
France came to the FIFA World Cup 2026 as one of the favourites, and their performance against Senegal did no harm to their reputation. It was a somewhat muted show in the first half against a resilient defense, but two assists from Michael Olise left both fans and experts stunned. It was Kylian Mbappe who opened the scoring for his side, and following a smart finish by Bradley Barcola, Mbappe scored a sensational long-ranger to make sure that France maintained their favourites status.
2. Argentina
It was the Lionel Messi show that left Algeria completely helpless and fans completely awestruck. It was the first World Cup hat-trick ever for the superstar in a clinical 3-0 victory, but what stood out was the cohesion in the Argentina side. A solid defensive show supported by quick link-up play allowed Messi to find brilliant positions, and his stellar finishing did the rest.
3. England
There was a lot of chatter around England’s team selection for the World Cup, but most doubts were put to rest as they defeated Croatia 4-2. It was Harry Kane once again who found the back of the net on two occasions, and an inspired show by Jude Bellingham and Marcus Rashford had fans dreaming that the trophy may be ‘coming home’ this time.
4. Germany
It has been a tough few campaigns for Germany since winning the title in 2014. The European giants were unable to qualify from the group stages in both 2018 and 2022. However, a 7-1 win over Curacao was probably the perfect way for them to start the campaign, and two goals for Kai Havertz largely remedied their concerns over their striker options.
5. United States of America (USA)
The pressure was huge on the USA as they took the field in their World Cup opener in front of the home support. Their record in FIFA World Cups has not been that impressive in the recent past, but what they showed in their 4-1 victory against Paraguay surely soothed a lot of nerves. A double strike by Folarin Balogun, followed by a late goal from Giovanni Reyna, meant that they were extremely impressive in the first game and have a great chance of reaching the next stage.
6. Norway
Two goals from Erling Haaland and a superb strike by LeoOstigard handed Norway a 4-0 win over Iraq in their first group stage match. The occasion was massive for Norway as they were playing a World Cup match after 28 years, but their star-studded team was up to the challenge, and they will surely be dark horses in this competition.
7. Sweden
The strike duo of Alexander Isak and Viktor Gyokeres may have been grabbing all the headlines, but it was Yasin Ayari who scored twice as Sweden defeated Tunisia 5-1. While Sweden were regarded quite highly by experts ahead of the World Cup, it was a brilliant show from the team which has the potential to cause major upsets.
8. Morocco
The 1-1 draw against Brazil turned Morocco into a major talking point among fans as well as experts while catapulting Ayyoub Bouaddi into superstardom. The talented youngster controlled the midfield against the Brazilian side, and Ismael Saibari handed them a surprise lead which was only canceled out by a brilliant goal from Vinicius Junior.
9. Japan
Arguably the best game of the tournament till now saw Japan score a late goal to hold the Netherlands to a 2-2 draw. Although the Asian giants were not able to clinch the win, they showed tremendous grit and determination to earn a crucial point. Fans were left awestruck with how they did not lose heart, and the late header by Daichi Kamada has gone viral on social media.
10. Australia
Turkiye started their game as clear favourites against Australia, but the script quickly flipped once the game started. Australia showed tremendous promise in attack, and their midfield dominance made sure that Turkey were not able to breach their defense. Nestory Irankunda and Connor Metcalfe were the scorers, and Australia will surely be one to watch out for.