Her-ranking van de 48 WK-teams na dag zeven: Engeland rechtvaardigt status, maar Portugal zakt weg

Sterke starts zijn cruciaal voor het veiligstellen van een voortgang naar de knock-outfase, en de beste mogelijke passage, maar Portugal kwam op dag zeven niet goed uit de startblokken — in tegenstelling tot Engeland, Ghana en Colombia, die allemaal wonnen. Alle teams hebben nu hun eerste wedstrijd in het toernooi gespeeld en we bereiden ons voor op de tweede ronde van wedstrijden. We krijgen later vandaag weer een blik op een van de gastlanden, Canada, dat zijn kansen tegen Qatar zal willen maximaliseren.

Hoe hebben de gebeurtenissen op dag zeven onze ranglijst beïnvloed?

1. Frankrijk FIFA-ranking: 3 ➡️ 1
   De test voor Frankrijk leverde positieve resultaten op met een openingswedstrijd van 3-1 tegen Senegal. In tegenstelling tot Spanje en Brazilië, twee van de andere favorieten, kwamen zij niet teleur. Na een tamme eerste helft kwam Mbappé in actie, ondanks dat hij een penalty werd onthouden. Zijn lange afstandsdoelpunt zorgde ervoor dat hij Olivier Giroud passeerde als Frankrijk's topscorer aller tijden. Bradley Barcola scoorde de tweede goal van Frankrijk en bewees de diepte van het team door vanaf de bank te scoren. Deze prestatie tegen de ploeg die in januari de finale van de Afrika Cup won, bevestigde hun plaats aan de top van onze ranglijst.

2. Argentinië FIFA-ranking: 1 ➡️
   In zijn zesde WK heeft Messi nog steeds magie in zijn voeten. Het was kippenvel om hem zijn eerste hattrick op het toernooi te zien scoren op 38-jarige leeftijd. Zou de Algerijnse doelman Luca Zidane, de zoon van de Franse legende Zinedine, beter hebben kunnen presteren bij twee van de drie doelpunten? Ja. Maakt dat uit? Nee. Hij werd waarschijnlijk niet geholpen door een gebroken kaak, om eerlijk te zijn. De belangrijkste twijfels over Argentinië draaien om hun verouderde selectie. Het is een langer toernooi dan ooit en hun uithoudingsvermogen zal getest worden, maar wat een start was dit.

3. Engeland FIFA-ranking: 4 ➡️
   Als dit is hoe Thomas Tuchel’s Engeland eruit gaat zien, teken ons dan maar voor meer. De sterspeler van de natie bloeide op in hun 4-2 overwinning op Kroatië, waarbij Harry Kane een dubbele score registreerde en Jude Bellingham Engeland weer op voorsprong bracht na de rust, voordat Marcus Rashford van de bank kwam om de vierde te scoren. Dit was niet zomaar een overwinning; Kroatië is een top 15-genoteerde natie wiens doelman, Dominik Livakovic, hen meerdere keren heeft moeten redden. Vragen moeten nog steeds defensief beantwoord worden, maar Engeland had niet veel spannender kunnen beginnen. Ze blijven derde in onze ranglijst, achter de finalisten van het WK 2022.

4. Duitsland FIFA-ranking: 10 ➡️
   Voor een land als Duitsland is het winnen van het WK of niets, dus in termen van hun vooruitzichten om hun doel in 2026 te bereiken, hebben we niet veel opgestoken van een 7-1 overwinning op de minnows van Curaçao. We kregen echter bewijs dat de creatieve aanval van Duitsland een van de mooiste om naar te kijken zal zijn in het toernooi, maar hun verdediging laat veel te wensen over.

5. Spanje FIFA-ranking: 2 ➡️
   Zoals Spanje in 2010 bewees toen ze hun openingswedstrijd verloren maar het toernooi wonnen (zie ook Argentinië in 2022), gaat het niet om hoe je begint maar hoe je eindigt. Toch was een 0-0 gelijkspel tegen Kaapverdië een vernederende en enorm teleurstellende uitkomst voor de Euro 2024-kampioenen. Onverstandig, inspiratieloos, voorspelbaar en ze leken zeker niet op toekomstige WK-winnaars. Gaan ze gewoon lean on Lamine Yamal? There are worse strategies, but maybe the unfit 18 year old can't do it all alone. Our favorites for the tournament have work to do.

6. Brazil FIFA ranking: 6 ➡️
   Brazil did not show the best of themselves in their opening match. Carlo Ancelotti made two changes at half-time, indicating they are not yet in top form. These changes came at the back position and in midfield, two areas of concern for this Brazilian team that were not alleviated by the 1-1 draw against Morocco. They can still take the lead in Group C, with games against Haiti and Scotland looming. A bright spot was Vinicius Jr's emphatic finish, an encouraging start to the tournament for one of their key players.

7. Netherlands FIFA ranking: 8 ➡️
   A solid display against Japan showed their physical strength, strength from attacking set-pieces and occasionally brilliant play from the forwards, but also highlighted the weaknesses in the depth of their squad (their level dropped noticeably after five substitutions). Ronald Koeman's decision to bring on an extra defender in the final 10 minutes did not pay off as they conceded a late equalizer.

8. Morocco FIFA ranking: 7 ⬆️ 1
   Morocco's draw against Brazil proved they are still one of football's heavyweights after their semi-final run at the 2022 World Cup. They looked to compete comfortably with the most successful nation in the World Cup. The team has new talent since their historic run four years ago. Eighteen-year-old Ayyoub Bouaddi, who committed to Morocco after playing for France under-21s, had a standout game in midfield.

9. Colombia FIFA ranking: 14 ⬆️ 1
   A team full of offensive talent and willing runners. It wasn't a convincing win against Uzbekistan, but a win will put them top of Group K, above Portugal and DR Congo. Cucho Hernandez's assist for their third goal illustrated their work ethic.

10. Portugal FIFA ranking: 5 ⬇️ 2
    Portugal took the lead after six minutes against DR Congo and kept the ball sufficiently, albeit without much purpose. But they struggled to reignite attacking intent after Yoane Wissa's first-half equalizer. Their midfield lived up to expectations, but the attackers and defense were less convincing, with Cristiano Ronaldo playing the full 90 minutes. Ruben Dias must recover from an injury to strengthen the backline.

11. Mexico FIFA ranking: 13 ⬆️ 1
    A successful, drama-free opening win against South Africa was exactly what Mexico hoped to achieve. Julian Quinones' excellent goal in the opening stages set the nerves aside and then came talisman Raul Jimenez's emotional second goal in the second half. With potentially more on the horizon from Edson Alvarez (not drafted as he works on his fitness) and prodigy Gilberto Mora, Mexico can benefit from home advantage more than anyone, with that incredibly passionate Azteca crowd.

12. South Korea FIFA Ranking: 22 ⬆️ 1
    They had a wobble against the Czech Republic, falling 1-0 down in the second half and relying on goalkeeper Kim Seung-gyu to make some excellent saves, but South Korea's comeback win on the opening day already gives them a foot in the knockout stages. They weregood for the win and if Son Heung-min had his shooting skills it could have been an easy evening.

13. Croatia FIFA ranking: 11 ⬇️ 2
    Finalists in 2018 and semi-finalists in 2022, Croatia showed moments of quality against England but ultimately had less firepower. Captain Luka Modric, now 40, was substituted before the hour mark and has less influence on matches. Their golden generation, which did well in the past two editions, has faded and new players have to prove themselves against Ghana and Panama.

14. Uruguay FIFA ranking: 16 ➡️
    A real mix against Saudi Arabia in their opening match; terrible in the first half when they played within themselves and barely posed a threat with Darwin Nunez being ineffective (and substituted at half-time), but much better after the break and deserved their late equalizer from Maxi Araujo, mustering 27 shots. With just six goals in their last eight games, scoring remains an issue.

15. Senegal FIFA ranking: 15 ➡️
    It would be harsh to drop Senegal out of the top 15 after a loss to France, the expected outcome. Coming into the tournament after winning the AFCON earlier this year, Senegal can feel encouraged by their first half and substitute Ibrahim Mbaye's fine late goal, even if it was quickly overshadowed by Mbappe.

16. Egypt FIFA ranking: 29 ➡️
    Still looking for their first World Cup victory, 92 years after their first appearance. Egypt were well supported in the stands against Belgium and looked capable of breaking their drought after taking the lead through Emam Ashour's thunderous strike, but a weak second half left them stuck for a creditable point. Mohamed Salah and Omar Marmoush looked lively and it is New Zealand that is scheduled to play on Monday. If Egypt can't win there, they may never win again.

17. United States FIFA Ranking: 17 ➡️
    The USMNT's stunning 4-1 victory over Paraguay suggests their ceiling may be higher than many thought. Most encouragingly, Folarin Balogun looked every inch the top-flight No.9 the US had been looking for for generations, with two goals — including a brilliant and beautifully rounded shot with his weaker left foot into the top corner for his second. What's more, the highly anticipated talent Gio Reyna showed his gifts on the world stage with a beautiful trivela strike in the second half. Christian Pulisic was substituted at half-time due to a possible calf problem with the US 3-0 up, although both he and manager Mauricio Pochettino suggested it was a precautionary measure.

18. Belgium FIFA ranking: 9 ➡️
    On the list of pre-tournament favorites, Belgium were at the bottom of the desired teams, with their squad generally considered a bit slow and lacking defining stars. Their opener against Egypt did nothing to dispel those thoughts. Jeremy Doku did his best, but otherwise Belgium looked pretty ordinary - at least in terms of identifying teams that can go far in this competition - in claiming a 1-1 draw against the North Africans.

19. Ivory Coast FIFA ranking: 33 ➡️
    They got their World Cup off to a dream start as Manchester United's Amad Diallo scored a late winner against Ecuador. After never making it past the group stages of a World Cup, Ivory Coast now has a 95 percent chance of advancing to the knockout stagesand they must beat Curaçao to guarantee progression to the last 32.

20. Japan FIFA ranking: 18 ➡️
    Probably underperformed against the Netherlands and still achieved a remarkable result. After wins over Brazil and England in the past year, they are clearly a very dangerous, technically gifted and compact team, but injuries to key players Kaoru Mitoma, Takumi Minamino and Wataru Endo are reducing their chances of doing anything special in the coming weeks. A convincing win against Tunisia next time could really kick-start their tournament.

21. Sweden FIFA ranking: 38 ➡️
    Blimey. We weren't sure what to expect from Sweden, who lost twice to Kosovo in qualifying, but clearly have a very talented squad... well, based on their clinical 5-1 thrashing of Tunisia (13 shots, 1.37xG, five goals) Graham Potter seems to have the team working well together, especially the front duo of Alexander Isak and Viktor Gyokeres. A dark horse?

22. Norway FIFA ranking: 31 ➡️
    Norway would always score goals with Erling Haaland up front. The Manchester City striker scored twice as they beat Iraq 4-1. From standard situations, Norway looked imposing, with Leo Ostigard heading their third goal from a Martin Odegaard corner. Games against higher-ranked Senegal and France should show how high their ceiling can be. It's difficult to move them up in the rankings as the teams directly above them have had strong performances against better opponents, so they'll stay where they are for now.

23. Australia FIFA ranking: 27 ➡️
    Australia had just 28 percent possession against Turkey, but that was all they needed for a 2-0 win. Pragmatic coach Tony Popovic has made them difficult to break, and this is a side that could exceed expectations. While Turkey have star players in attack, it was Australia's 20-year-old Nestory Irankunda who produced the magic moment of the match for the opening goal.

1. Switzerland FIFA ranking: 19 ➡️
   Switzerland's casual display against Qatar cost them a winning start as they dominated but conceded a late equalizer. Group B remains wide open after Canada and Bosnia & Herzegovina also drew 1-1. But Qatar are considered the best chance to get three points, and the Swiss result could look worse in retrospect if Qatar is defeated in their other matches. It looked a comfortable game for Switzerland, who had 68 percent possession and collected an xG of 3.2, but expectations for their team must diminish after they failed to win a match they were heavily favored.

2. Ecuador FIFA ranking: 24 ➡️
   Their fans created a sea of yellow in Philadelphia, but the result was a huge disappointment, with a 1-0 defeat to Ivory Coast abruptly ending a 19-match, almost two-year unbeaten run. They were incredibly unlucky to hit the post three times, but now they may need a draw against Germany to get out of the group.

3. Austria FIFA ranking: 25 ➡️
   Taskaccomplished for Austria with a 3-1 victory over World Cup debutants Jordan in their first match. Despite it being their first World Cup since 1998, they have a team with extensive experience of playing at a high level in European club football. It helps when you win with a bit of flair, and Romano Schmid's opener was a goal to remember. Striker Marko Arnautovic, 37, showed some sharpness and scored a penalty. They should now be in a battle with Algeria for second place in Group J.

4. Ghana FIFA ranking: 73 ⬆️ 1
   Twenty-year-old Caleb Yirenkyi produced a disappointing performance to earn a crucial one-shot win in stoppage time against Panama. Ghana's quality in their opener is unlikely to have unnerved England or Croatia, but a win puts them in a strong position to progress and should be a springboard for their tournament.

5. Algeria FIFA ranking: 28 ⬇️ 1
   It's not much of a crime to succumb to Argentina and Messi, possibly the greatest player of all time, so only a slight drop in the rankings here to fall below Austria, who are above them in Group J. Fans can be encouraged by the fact that head coach Vladimir Petkovic has confidence in the new guard, who has started 24-year-old Anis Hadj Moussa over the older Riyad Mahrez in the opener. For Algeria, the games against Jordan and Austria look much more winning.

6. Canada FIFA ranking: 30 ➡️
   Canada should still have enough to go through, and will no doubt be aiming for their first World Cup win in history against Qatar, but they were disappointing in front of a home crowd in Toronto on Friday. Star forward and Canada's all-time top scorer Jonathan David was thoroughly ineffective before being substituted by head coach Jesse Marsch just after the hour mark, raising questions about whether he can find his best form at the World Cup after a difficult debut season with Juventus. Ultimately it was Ontario-born Cyle Larin, who might have expected to start after a strong finish to the season with Southampton in the English Championship, who saved their peameal bacon with a deflected shot that sent his home crowd wild and secured an important 1-1 draw.

7. Turkey FIFA ranking: 23 ➡️
   Referred to as one of the dark horses of the tournament, Turkey were shocked in their opening match. After losing to Australia, if they emerge from Group D, they now look likely to finish third unless they can surprise the United States. This would mean a more difficult knockout draw. This team has quality, creates great moments with their 72 percent possession, but they need their key players Baris Alper Yilmaz and Arda Guler to deliver some much-needed end product.

8. Scotland FIFA ranking: 41 ⬇️
   Scotland now leads Group C, which features two top-10 ranked FIFA teams — Brazil and Morocco — after beating Haiti. Not bad. Haiti were able to put Scotland under pressure at times but John McGinn set up a first World Cup goal since 1998 and a 1-0 win, their first at the finals since 1990, which takes them a step closer to progressing to the knockout stages.

9. Iran FIFA ranking: 20 ➡️
   After an incomprehensibly difficult build-up, Iran was finally able to focus on football with their opening match againstNew Zealand. Considering the difference in experience and quality between the two teams, a 2-2 draw was disappointing despite them coming from behind twice. It leaves Iran needing to get a result against both Belgium and Egypt (or both) to advance.

10. Saudi Arabia FIFA ranking: 60 ➡️
    Organized, well-trained and clearly playing to plan, Saudi Arabia almost pulled off a major upset at the start of their second successive World Cup after beating Argentina in 2022. A point against Uruguay despite being in the lead was still a great outcome and means that victory against Cape Verde in their final match almost certainly gets them out of the group. But before then, can they bother Spain?

11. Paraguay FIFA ranking: 40 ⬆️ 1
    Their opening match against the USA made a very disappointing return to the World Cup after a 16-year wait. Paraguay were completely outplayed, and seemed to lack the organization and structure that led them to a sixth-place finish in the South American qualifying, where they finished level with Brazil and defeated reigning continental and world champions Argentina. Playing against the hosts is never easy, but now their chances of qualifying for the knockout stages are in jeopardy.

12. New Zealand FIFA Ranking: 85 ⬆️ 1
    Still without a World Cup win, they exceeded their pre-tournament expectations by claiming an impressive 2-2 draw against Iran in their opening match. Elijah Just had millions googling his name (and clubs no doubt checking his availability) after scoring two goals, both beautifully set up by Chris Wood, as New Zealand extended their unbeaten World Cup run to four games (they drew all three games in 2010).

13. Panama FIFA ranking: 34 ⬇️ 2
    Panama lost in the most heartbreaking way to Ghana with one of the last kicks of the match after a performance that deserved a point. Still, the overall quality of the match wasn't great and although Panama had the greater share of possession, none of their chances were clear with a collective xG of 0.73.

14. Qatar FIFA ranking: 56 ➡️
    A draw against Switzerland, who many predicted as group winners, saw them move up the rankings from where we had them at the start of the tournament. It was admittedly a result that came from the Swiss' compplacement, but a first World Cup point is worth a significant increase. They showed more in their first game than they did in their three games as hosts in 2022, when they conceded seven goals and scored just once. But they do drop a few places considering the performance of other teams.

15. Bosnia and Herzegovina FIFA ranking: 64 ⬇️
    Bosnia and Herzegovina can look back with heads high on an energetic and competitive return to football's biggest stage, especially against a host nation in Canada with a 1-1 draw. They had to withstand some serious pressure in the second half as Canada grew into the match, but as anyone who followed their run through the qualifying stages knows, they are not the type to succumb. Canada eventually got their goal, but only after some luck with a big deflection. Edin Dzeko was not a factor as he is still recovering from oneshoulder injury that has kept him out since the international break in March. Bringing back their star player, the Bosnian diamond, would significantly improve their chances of progressing.

16. Czech Republic FIFA ranking: 43 ⬇️
    Lost their opening match against South Korea, but their prospects in Group A look stronger than they might have done due to South Africa's incompetence. Captain Ladislav Krejci's header from a long throw-in from Vladimir Coufal briefly gave them the advantage against the Koreans and had it not been for a few missed late chances they might have had a decent opening. The defeat was a serious blow, but they are favorites to beat South Africa in their next match on Thursday, which could be enough to see them move up to third.

17. Cape Verde FIFA ranking: 67 ⬇️
    A point against Uruguay or Saudi Arabia in Group H would have been a glorious achievement, but to hold the 2010 winners and reigning European champions Spain to a 0-0 draw was Cape Verde's equivalent of winning the World Cup. It was an extraordinary outcome and one they fully deserved for a courageous, organized display at 100 percent, with a great 40-year-old goalkeeper Vozinha, who once played in the Angolan league. Real World Cup.

18. DR Congo FIFA ranking: 46 ⬆️ 5
    DR Congo's recognizable names such as Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Axel Tuanzebe, Chancel Mbemba and Wissa all delivered strong performances in their opener. They couldn't get close to Portugal's midfield at times, but that hardly mattered as they were solid defensively and Wissa, despite having scored just once in the league for Newcastle United this season, made good use of his opportunity. That draw with Portugal means they make a big leap up the rankings, above teams that lost, to acknowledge that we had underestimated them by a few places. They still need to win to advance, and Uzbekistan has proven not to be an easy opponent.

19. Uzbekistan FIFA ranking: 50 ⬇️ 1
    Uzbekistan put in a performance their nation can be proud of on their World Cup debut and were unlucky to lose 3-1 to Colombia. Abbosbek Fayzullaev scored the country's first World Cup goal, and Bekhruz Karimov could have completed the goal of the tournament with a thunderous shot that hit the crossbar. Fabio Cannavaro's team will be hoping for points against Portugal or DR Congo, but have fallen narrowly in the rankings after their loss.

20. Tunisia FIFA ranking: 45 ⬇️ 1
    They have not conceded a single goal in their 10 qualifying matches but were trounced 5-1 by Sweden in their opening match in what had to be their least difficult match in Group F. Head coach Sabri Lamouchi's decision to sideline several experienced players amid a series of changes since he took over in January has not paid off, and he has been incredibly sacked, with former Saudi Arabia manager Herve Renard as his replacement.

21. South Africa FIFA ranking: 61 ⬇️ 1
    Two red cards didn't really help, but South Africa were comfortably second best with 11 men against Mexico in the opening game of the tournament, with coach Hugo Broos' decision to use a new five-man defense not working at all. They were occasionally disastrous in building up from the back and never seemed toscore. Can they improve on that, with two players suspended, against the Czech Republic on Thursday? In their first World Cup appearance since hosting the tournament in 2010, it was a shame to see South Africa hardly show any adventurous or purposeful intent, which will disappoint their fans at home.

22. Jordan FIFA ranking: 63 ⬇️ 1
    A first World Cup match, and a first World Cup goal for Jordan. Lots to celebrate, despite a 3-1 loss to Austria. Manager Jamal Sellami told his staff to stay calm after their goal, to act as if they had been here before. But they don't have that, so every match is a learning curve. Jordan will need to collect points in Group J to increase our rankings.

23. Curaçao FIFA ranking: 82 ⬇️ 1
    Livano Comenencia produced one of the best moments of the tournament so far by equalizing the smallest World Cup nation ever against four-time winners Germany, and who knows what else they would have done without that pesky hydration break. They produced eight shots and, despite the score, they didn't make a fool of themselves. After causing problems for the big Germany, they deserve to move up one place. They will look forward to more shocking moments against Ecuador and Ivory Coast.

24. Iraq FIFA ranking: 57 ➡️
    Iraq impressed Norway physically in the first half, and Aymen Hussein, who was held for hours by US immigration authorities as he entered the country, scored a towering header. But a sloppy back pass and slow reaction from goalkeeper Jalal Hassan gave Haaland his second goal back and restored the lead for Norway before half-time, and confidence waned with Norway's third and fourth goals. They will need to perform well to earn a point in Group I, with matches remaining against France and Senegal.

25. Haití FIFA ranking: 83 ➡️
    Haiti's best chance of a result in Group C was probably against Scotland, with their other opponents being Morocco and Brazil. As the lowest ranked team, they produced a spirited performance that was more encouraging than the way other teams lost. But succumbing 1-0 does not warrant a rise in our rankings, and they will need to remain competitive in their tough remaining group matches.

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