EmailPrintOpen 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 Trkiye 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)Les 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 Trkiye -- and a brief Kylian Mbapp 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)England 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.But 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 Martnez, 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 2030.6. BRAZIL- FIFA rank: 6- International break results: drew 1-1 vs. Australia; defeated Australia 4-2; defeated India 4-0 (friendlies/exhibition games)- Next opponent: Japan (Nov. 14; friendly/exhibition game)Our voters still rate the Sele�o highly considering the talent at their disposal -- along with the enigmatic eyebrow, Carlo Ancelotti, in charge -- but results aren't great and the fans are getting restless. His insistence on a front-loaded team that maximizes their attacking depth at the expense of, well, everything else has yielded some frustrating performances.The pressure's on to live up to expectations despite having little to play for until the 2028 Copa America, and next month's date with Japan -- a team that nearly knocked Brazil out of this summer's World Cup, were it not for Gabriel Martinelli -- suddenly looks like a must-win.7. NETHERLANDS- FIFA rank: 9- International break results: drew 1-1 vs. Germany; defeated Serbia 2-1; drew 2-2 vs. Greece; defeated Serbia 2-1 (UEFA Nations League)- Next opponent: vs. Greece (Nov. 13; UEFA Nations League)The Dutch have been crying out for a top manager following three stodgy years under Ronald Koeman, and the early returns for new man Xavi are certainly promising. They dominated Germany but needed an injury time goal to get a draw, picked up two deserved wins over Serbia and fought back from 2-0 to draw against a counter-punching Greece.Despite a string of injuries and rotations, Xavi still got a tune out of his team, and they're in control of their Nations League destiny thanks to this window's results. That's coaching, baby.8. GERMANY- FIFA rank: 14- International break results: drew 1-1 vs. Netherlands; lost 1-0 vs. Greece; defeated Serbia 2-0; drew 0-0 vs. Greece (UEFA Nations League)- Next opponent: at Serbia (Nov. 13; UEFA Nations League)Have you heard? Jrgen Klopp is BACK in the game and he's got the unenviable task of getting Germany back to the top; they won the 2014 World Cup, yes, but they haven't gone further than the round of 32 since. That said, if Florian Wirtz does the kinds of things we did in this international break -- just keep watching this physics-defying goal against Serbia -- they have every chance.9. MOROCCO- FIFA rank: 7- International break results: defeated Gabon 2-0; defeated Lesotho 2-0 (Africa Cup of Nations qualifying); drew 1-1 vs. Mali (friendly/exhibition game)- Next opponent: vs. Niger (Nov. 11; Africa Cup of Nations qualifying)Mohamed Ouahbi's side fizzled out at the World Cup against France after a promising start, but they remain the best of the African sides in the eyes of our voters. Their work over the break -- two wins in AFCON qualifying and a credible friendly draw with Mali in a hastily arranged game after Ghana withdrew -- has done little to dispel that notion.10. BELGIUM- FIFA rank: 8- International break results: defeated Italy 2-0; lost 1-0 vs. France; defeated Trkiye 3-0; lost 4-1 vs. France (UEFA Nations League)- Next opponent: at Trkiye (Nov. 12; UEFA Nations League)Much has been made of the superstar coaching appointments around them -- Klopp and Xavi to name just two -- but new Belgium boss Mark van Bommel is also making a splash after a productive run of games. Though they lost (as expected) to France, home and away, in their Nations League group, wins over Italy and Trkiye showed what this fledgling group is capable of.Mika Godts and Charles De Ketelaere seem capable of taking charge of this team, but Kevin De Bruyne (two stunning goals vs. Trkiye) and Romelu Lukaku aren't ceding their spots quite that easily. As always with Belgium, the blend -- and the sharpness of their defense -- is going to be the key.11. NORWAY- FIFA rank: 19- International break results: defeated Denmark 3-2; lost 2-1 vs. Portugal; lost 2-1 vs. Wales; lost 2-1 vs. Portugal (UEFA Nations League)- Next opponent: vs. Wales (Nov. 14; UEFA Nations League)Erling Haaland picked up where he left off at the World Cup with two goals in Norway's opening win over Denmark in this break, but a trio of defeats from there laid bare the scale of their task. This is a team built around individual stars and singular moments, which are hard to count on consistently, and their defense is distinctly second-tier compared to what they boast further upfield.The UEFA Nations League, with its byzantine format and weird structure, seems like a fine place to get things wrong in the meantime, but they retain a place in our ranking thanks to the top-tier stars (Haaland, Martin degaard) at their disposal, both of whom have shown they can turn a game when it matters.12. ITALY- FIFA rank: 15- International break results: lost 2-0 vs. Belgium; defeated Trkiye 4-1; drew 1-1 vs France; defeated Trkiye 3-1- Next opponent: vs. France (Nov. 12; UEFA Nations League)The Azzurri haven't been at a World Cup since 2014, but their tricky rebuild under Roberto Mancini (in his second stint at the helm) is paying early dividends. Just six of his call-ups for the four-game window have more than 30 caps, making this the ultimate fresh start as they try to turn the page on some generational failure.Pio Esposito, just 21, is one of those young players keen to take their chance, with two goals and an assist over the four games, and winning trophies at Arsenal has clearly helped all-action Riccardo Calafiori take his game to another level. The manner in which they collectively stymied France is also a confidence boost for a nation sorely in need; we'll just have to wait and see if this is the beginning of their return to the top or another false dawn.13. JAPAN- FIFA rank: 17- International break results: defeated Uruguay 3-1; defeated Venezuela 2-1; defeated Ecuador 5-4 on penalties (0-0 in regular time); defeated New Zealand 2-1 (friendlies/exhibition games)- Next opponent: vs. Indonesia (Jan. 11, 2027; AFC Asian Cup)Manager Hajime Moriyasu is enjoying his farewell tour in charge -- U23 coach Go Oiwa is taking over after the 2027 AFC Asian Cup, which kicks off in January -- and Japan are playing brilliantly, picking up results and regaining some much-needed confidence. After a World Cup in which injuries taxed their depth, there's a welcome rhythm again in how the Samurai Blue play and it was reflected in their range of wins.Lille forward Ayase Ueda (four goals, one assist over four games) and Crystal Palace midfielder Daichi Kamada often set the tone across the four-game set, and their form bodes well for a gentle Asian Cup draw (Qatar, Thailand, Indonesia).14. COLOMBIA- FIFA rank: 16- International break results: drew 1-1 vs. Mexico; lost 1-0 to Paraguay; defeated Peru 1-0 (friendlies/exhibition games)- Next opponent: TBDNestor Lorenzo's side are treading water at the moment with no World Cup qualification in their future -- like Argentina, they are automatically in for 2030 by virtue of hosting one match -- but our voters see them a credible pick in the top 15 considering past performance. It's going to take a historically bad run of form to really see them drop, especially when so many of their core players are still just about the right side of 30.15. UNITED STATES- FIFA rank: 11- International break results: defeated Peru 4-1; defeated Chile 4-2; defeated Mexico 3-0; defeated Canada 1-0 (friendlies/exhibition games)- Next opponent: at Haiti (Nov. 9; Concacaf Nations League)The theme of this window for the USMNT is "the kids are alright," as evidenced by an impressive string of results over the break. U.S. coach Mauricio Pochettino brought in 13 uncapped players for a quartet of tricky games and they played without fear, banging in goals, showing composure under pressure and most important of all, having fun.Cavan Sullivan, the 17-year-old phenom, arguably had the best break of all, starting twice and scoring once -- against Mexico, no less! -- to claim the mantle of youngest-ever USMNT scorer and showing that he has a place in this team's present, not just their future. Defenders Chris Richards and Alex Freeman looked strong at the back, Gio Reyna started every single game (no easy feat given his injury history) and looked more confident than he has in years, and we enjoyed cameos from Julian Hall (three goals and an assist in three games), Mathis Albert (who briefly held the title of youngest-ever scorer before Sullivan broke it days later), and midfield metronome Sebastian Berhalter, who is rapidly becoming one of Poch's trusted lieutenants.All round, it was a superb window and our voters rewarded them as such by lifting them back into our Top 15.Editor's note: Our voting panel includes Bill Connelly, Cesar Hernandez, Ubiratan Leal (ESPN Brasil), Damian Didonato (ESPN Argentina), Alex Kirkland, Moises Llorens, Mariano Mancuso (ESPN Argentina), Beth Lindop, Tom Hamilton, James Olley, Mark Ogden, Gab Marcotti, Jon Molyneux-Carter, James Tyler, Sam Planting (ESPN Netherlands), Armando Neria (ESPN Deportes), Jeff Carlisle and Sam Marsden.Other teams receiving votes: Switzerland, Greece, Senegal, Ecuador, Mexico, Sweden, Denmark, Croatia, Trkiye, Cameroon, Austria, IR Iran, Uruguay.
