There are now just three round-of-32 ties remaining, with the last 16 almost set following Thursday’s matches.At 41, legendary goalscorer Cristiano Ronaldo finally got one in a World Cup knockout game as his Portugal team got the better of Luka Modric’s Croatia. It was an incredibly dramatic 2-1 victory, in which Ronaldo’s former Real Madrid team-mate Modric, 40, might have played his last international.Switzerland and Johan Manzambi continued their impressive run in a 2-0 win over Algeria, while Spain eased past Austria 3-0 with their most convincing performance of the tournament. Will the European champions have it what it takes?Here’s how our rankings look after day 22. Watch out for Argentina and joint-top scorer Lionel Messi in action later today, when the holders play Cape Verde.1. FranceFIFA ranking: 2➡️ (arrow depicts movement from our previous ranking)France’s performances have given every indication that they are on track to reach their third consecutive World Cup final.As things stand, Kylian Mbappe could collect the Golden Boot (six goals), and Michael Olise could finish with the most assists (five and counting).After a 3-0 win over Sweden, they are the highest-scoring team at the tournament. Expect that form in front of goal to continue against Paraguay in the last 16.They remain top of our rankings — and The Athletic’s live projection tool forecasts a 28 per cent chance of them winning the World Cup.Get free access to the most comprehensive World Cup coverage in The Athletic app2. ArgentinaFIFA ranking: 1➡️Three convincing wins in three Group J matches took the holders comfortably through to the knockout stages.Entering the last 32, Lionel Messi is the tournament’s joint-top scorer with six goals and with similar personnel, this team has looked like the title winners of four years ago.They won’t complain about their place in the bracket, taking on Cape Verde in the round of 32, followed by Australia or Egypt in the round of 16.3. SpainFIFA ranking: 3⬆️ 1If it feels like Spain and star player Lamine Yamal haven’t quite got into full swing yet, that’s probably because expectations around the Euro 2024 winners were so high. They started with a frustrating 0-0 draw with Cape Verde but have now won three consecutive matches — and are yet to concede a goal. Thursday night’s 3-0 victory over Austria was their best display yet, as unsung hero Mikel Oyarzabal brought his tally to the tournament to four with a brace. The 29-year-old Real Sociedad forward has 17 goals from his past 16 starts for Spain, who will be in Dallas for an enticing last-16 match-up with Portugal on Monday. Let’s see if Luis de la Fuente’s side can continue improving. 4. BrazilFIFA ranking: 5⬇️ 1Brazil made light work of Scotland and Haiti, but there were concerns over their performance in the draw with Morocco, leading some to believe Japan could be a banana skin in the round of 32.Carlo Ancelotti looked the calmest man in Houston, and it was his substitute, Gabriel Martinelli, who scored the added-time winner for Brazil. They matched Japan’s energy and had too much attacking impetus to be denied.Brazil’s midfield, instead of being the team’s weakness, was a net positive as Casemiro found the equalising goal and Bruno Guimaraes set up Martinelli’s winner. Norway await in the next round.5. EnglandFIFA ranking: 4➡️Since beating Croatia, England’s games have been tough to watch. Ghana, Panama and DR Congo have sought to frustrate them, and succeeded for long periods, but England’s round-of-32 turnaround win in the last 15 minutes shows they have found some solutions to break down resolute defences.It was their first victory after conceding the opening goal in a World Cup knockout tie since the 1966 final, as Harry Kane’s double put him back into the Golden Boot race — he has five goals to his name — and saved England from a disastrous loss.It doesn’t get any easier in the last 16. Now they must confront co-hosts Mexico at the Estadio Azteca.Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane are England’s key men (Richard Pelham/Getty Images)6. MexicoFIFA ranking: 9➡️Mexico have qualified for the round of 16 with a perfect record and without conceding a goal, following three wins from three in the group stage and a 2-0 win over Ecuador in the last 32. It was their first knockout win in 40 years.Julian Quinones and Raul Jimenez have proved to be dependable goal threats, with five combined, while their home support in Mexico City for the Ecuador game was incredible.It should prove to be an intimidating atmosphere for England in the last 16.7. MoroccoFIFA ranking: 6➡️Morocco’s round-of-32 victory against the Netherlands shows their run to the Qatar 2022 semi-finals was no fluke. Manager Mohamed Ouahbi has nurtured the next generation, winning the 2025 Under-20 World Cup, and they can now consistently compete with the heavy hitters. Take the group stage, where they looked like the better team in a draw against Brazil.Issa Diop’s added-time equaliser showcased another strength of the team: the recruitment of dual nationals. Diop switched his allegiance from France earlier this year.They will be confident they can reach the quarter-finals, playing hosts Canada in the last 16.8. NorwayFIFA ranking: 23➡️Into the last 16 Norway go, for only the third time in their history, for a mouthwatering tie with Brazil.Norway’s defence stood tall against the Ivory Coast, dealing well with set-piece deliveries and crosses. Goalkeeper Orjan Nyland made some crucial saves, including tipping Amad’s late free kick over the bar.Ivory Coast could not contain a Norway attack that scored eight goals in three games in the group stage. It is electrifying in full flow, as seen by Antonio Nusa’s opener and Haaland’s fifth goal of the tournament. The team was well rested after a rotated line-up in their final group match against France, when progression was already ensured.9. PortugalFIFA ranking: 8⬆️ 2Despite having arguably the best midfield at the tournament, Portugal haven’t looked convincing and finished behind Colombia in Group K.But against Croatia, Cristiano Ronaldo scored his first World Cup knockout goal with a penalty (and was later substituted) as Roberto Martinez’s side snatched a last-16 spot with a stoppage-time Goncalo Ramos header.That winner came in the 94th minute, but this hugely dramatic game still found time to throw up a Croatian disallowed equaliser 11 minutes later. Meeting Spain next, Portugal will have to find a way to limit the European champions, or they’re likely to be punished.10. United StatesFIFA ranking: 15⬇️ 1Mauricio Pochettino’s team continued their group stage form to join co-hosts Canada and Mexico in the last 16, easing beyond tricky opponents in Bosnia and Herzegovina despite being reduced to 10 men.But they are set to be without Folarin Balogun in their next game after his red card — a critical blow when it comes to their goal threat as they take on Belgium in Seattle.The U.S. are looking to reach the quarter-finals for just the third time, and to avenge a 5-2 friendly loss to Belgium in March. Should they achieve that, they will play one of Portugal or Spain in the last eight.Folarin Balogun will be a big miss for the USMNT against Belgium (Jamie Squire/Getty Images)11. ColombiaFIFA ranking: 11⬇️ 1A team brimming with attacking talent and with willing runners aplenty, wins over Uzbekistan and DR Congo, though not emphatic, were enough to confirm progression for Colombia with a match to spare.A draw in their final game meant they topped Group K over Portugal, a sign of their quality. What looked to be Davinson Sanchez’s big toe creeping into an offside position denied them a late win, too.Winning the group means Ghana will be their opponents in the round of 32.12. SwitzerlandFIFA ranking: 16⬆️ 2Switzerland have suffered last-16 defeat in the past three World Cups, but victory over Algeria in the round of 32 at this expanded edition means they have finally won a knockout game. It was their third victory in a row at this tournament, where 20-year-old midfielder Johan Manzambi has emerged as a breakout star. His mazy run set up Breel Embolo’s opener.Can they go a step further? They will meet either Colombia or Ghana, and look capable of beating both.13. BelgiumFIFA ranking: 10⬇️ 1Belgium were staring at elimination after going 2-0 down against Senegal in the round of 32. In a surprising move, head coach Rudi Garcia reacted by taking off Kevin De Bruyne and Jeremy Doku, but it proved effective as Belgium somehow revived with two goals in the last four minutes.Youri Tielemans’ penalty in the second half of extra time was the latest goal scored at a World Cup, completing a remarkable comeback. The remnants of their golden generation still have life in them yet.They face the U.S. next, whom they beat 5-2 in a friendly in March.Youri Tielemans scored the latest goal in World Cup history (Alex Grimm/Getty Images)14. CanadaFIFA ranking: 32⬆️ 1The co-hosts’ coach Jesse Marsch described their next game — which they now know will be against Morocco in the round of 16 — as “a free hit” after Stephen Eustaquio’s 92nd-minute winner ensured Canada defeated South Africa in Los Angeles. That doesn’t feel like the most optimistic interpretation of their chances, but they will certainly start that game in Houston as the underdogs.15. EgyptFIFA ranking: 26⬆️ 1Egypt’s 1-1 draw with Iran in their final group match, after a win against New Zealand and draw with Belgium, meant they dropped to second in the table, behind Belgium.It was not disastrous for their round-of-32 outlook — they will face Australia next. But it does mean they could meet Argentina in the last 16.16. GhanaFIFA ranking: 65⬆️ 1Ghana played the group stage smartly. Coach Carlos Queiroz adjusted his tactics against each team, winning the game they needed to against Panama and earning a draw against England with an impressive defensive display.After a narrow defeat by Croatia, they slipped to third in Group L but were always going to progress, whatever the result in Philadelphia. They have shown they can be a versatile team and can stick to a game plan, which they will need to do against Colombia in the round of 32.17. ParaguayFIFA ranking: 37⬆️ 1Paraguay had a mixed group stage, including being dismantled 4-1 by the U.S.. But any embarrassment from that game is behind them now.Paraguay did against Germany what all good underdogs do: defend well and score from a set piece. Well, the ball was recycled from a corner, and it was a great cross by Matias Galarza and header by Julio Enciso, so we’re counting it as a set piece anyway.Goalkeeper Orlando Gill was a hero. He kept two clean sheets in the group, but his two penalty saves helped take Paraguay to the last 16, where they will face tournament favourites France.Paraguay have recovered well from their humiliation against the USMNT (Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images)18. AustraliaFIFA ranking: 28⬆️ 3Progression as Group D runners-up marks a solid effort from Australia, and two clean sheets from three games helped them do it.Despite disappointing against the United States, their highlight was the performance against Turkey, producing a 2-0 win with only 28 per cent possession in a breakout game for 20-year-old Watford forward Nestory Irankunda.They will have to channel this solidarity and cutting edge in the knockout stages, coming up against Egypt.19. Cape VerdeFIFA ranking: 64⬆️ 3Cape Verde reaching the knockouts on their World Cup debut is the biggest fairytale of the tournament to date.After keeping out European champions Spain, earning goalkeeper Vozinha Instagram fame, and drawing 2-2 with Uruguay, they confirmed progression with a third point, against Saudi Arabia, to finish in second.The reward is a round-of-32 tie against holders Argentina. They couldn’t do it again, could they? Whatever happens in the knockout stages, these players have inspired a generation by making history.The eliminated teams20. NetherlandsFIFA ranking: 7⬆️ 3The Netherlands’ group stage instilled confidence in the team, including a 5-1 win over Sweden. Cody Gakpo, Brian Brobbey and Crysencio Summerville had all combined well in a dangerous-looking attack.But after topping their group, they were unlucky to draw another top-10 ranked team in Morocco. Ronald Koeman changed the setup to play five defenders, and it worked well enough that Morocco needed a late equaliser. But could they have stuck to the same approach that brought group-stage success?After missing three out of five penalties, they were defeated in the shootout. There will be disappointment exiting at this stage of the tournament, leading to Koeman’s resignation.21. GermanyFIFA ranking: 12⬆️ 3Germany’s group-stage performances were very promising after two games, a thrashing of Curacao and a late win over the Ivory Coast, but there was cause for concern in their final group game against Ecuador, in which they lost 2-1 despite starting with something close to their strongest XI.They might feel hard done by at losing to Paraguay in the last 32, as Jonathan Tah’s extra-time goal was ruled out for apparent blocking of the goalkeeper, but it shouldn’t have come down to this. Paraguay were beaten 4-1 by the U.S. earlier in the tournament.This is just the latest in a string of early exits for Germany. At their previous two tournaments since winning the World Cup in 2014, they failed to make it out of the group stage. They are usually reliable from the penalty spot at least, but this marked their first shootout defeat in World Cup history. Julian Nagelsmann has since left as head coach.Germany were beaten by Paraguay (Robert Cianflone/Getty Images)22. JapanFIFA ranking: 17⬆️ 3Japan had a likeable team who impressed in the group stages, playing an egoless, exciting brand of football. They were rated so highly that many thought they would trouble Brazil in the last 32, and they did, taking the lead in the match through midfielder Kaishu Sano.Brazil matched their energy and had too much attacking talent to be denied, winning with an added-time goal. What could have been for Japan if they hadn’t suffered injuries before and throughout the tournament to Kaoru Mitoma, Takefusa Kubo and Wataru Endo.23. SenegalFIFA ranking: 18⬆️ 3Against Belgium, they were 2-0 up in the 86th minute and somehow ended up losing after Youri Tielemans’ winning penalty in extra time.It was a heartbreaking way to exit the tournament, with some Senegal players moved to tears, coming only months after they were stripped of the AFCON title.Despite the meltdown, they had shown high quality in the game, with Ismaila Sarr’s spectacular goal brought down on his chest and lashed into the back of the net. They proved a considerable test for Belgium and France, against whom they mustered a strong first-half performance in the group stage.Senegal’s players protest the award of Belgium’s late penalty (Alex Grimm/Getty Images)24. Ivory CoastFIFA ranking: 30⬆️ 3Ivory Coast exited the World Cup having only lost games to Germany (group stage) and Norway (round of 32). They beat Ecuador and Curacao, showing them to be among the best of the rest, but still with work to do to catch the contending teams.They brought the youngest squad to the tournament, so still have plenty of potential to get out of this group. Amad can go home knowing he had an impressive tournament, following his winner against Ecuador and stunning solo goal in the Norway game. Yan Diomande showed flashes of his brilliance that could earn him a big-money move this summer.But none of their strikers found the net. This was one element of their downfall, with a reliance on Amad and Diomande to create and score.25. CroatiaFIFA ranking: 13⬇️ 12After finishing as World Cup runners-up in 2018 and placing third in 2022, Croatia went out in the round of 32 following a late defeat by Portugal.They finished second in Group L behind England, suffering a 4-2 loss to Thomas Tuchel’s side in their opener, but bounced back with wins against Panama and Ghana.All attention turns to 40-year-old 2018 Ballon d’Or winner Modric, as the Croatian legend might have played his last international match. He will be irreplaceable.26. SwedenFIFA ranking: 36⬆️ 2It was only at the end of last year that Sweden finished bottom of their World Cup qualifying group behind Kosovo, Slovenia and Switzerland without winning a game.The turnaround since under Graham Potter — beating Ukraine and Poland in the play-offs for a spot in the tournament, a 5-1 win over Tunisia in their opening game and a draw with Japan — is a cause for positivity.With the quality of players they have, such as Alexander Isak, Viktor Gyokeres and Anthony Elanga, they should be more consistent and competitive. But losing to France in the last 32 is no disgrace at all.27. EcuadorFIFA ranking: 24⬆️ 2Ecuador’s strength was their defensive resilience, but over four games they struggled to find the net, scoring only twice, including failing to break down Curacao.Both of their goals came in a 2-1 win over Germany, their highlight of the tournament. But in the knockouts, they were unable to match Mexico’s ruthlessness.Enner Valencia, 36, did not get going at the tournament, and the rest of their key players, Moises Caicedo, William Pacho and Piero Hincapie, are all defensive. Hincapie was dismissed in added time against Mexico for covering his mouth in a confrontation.28. AustriaFIFA ranking: 22⬇️ 8After reaching the knockout stage by the skin of their teeth in a dramatic final group game against Algeria, Austria were well beaten by Spain in the round of 32.Ralf Rangnick’s side did have a goal threat, scoring three times on two occasions in the group phase. But coming up against superior opposition (they also faced Argentina), they weren’t able to truly excel either defensively or offensively at their first World Cup since 1998.29. AlgeriaFIFA ranking: 29⬇️ 10Algeria were disappointing in their round-of-32 match against Switzerland, failing to create clear-cut chances.On the plus side, Riyad Mahrez, 35, scored his first World Cup goals at this tournament, and players like 24-year-old Feyenoord winger Anis Hadj Moussa are coming through to succeed him.However, their key players are not in their prime, and they looked to be behind other African nations such as Senegal, Ivory Coast and Morocco in quality.30. DR Congo➡️FIFA ranking: 41Competing at only their second World Cup, after their first as Zaire in 1974, DR Congo progressed to the knockouts for the first time as one of nine African nations to reach the last 32.A draw with Portugal and a win over Uzbekistan in Group K secured their place as a best third-place team.Against England in the last 32, they started quickly, taking the lead through Brian Cipenga. Goalkeeper Lionel Mpasi looked destined to join Vozinha and Eloy Room but was eventually breached. Even in defeat, DR Congo left a hugely favourable impression on the finals.Brian Cipenga celebrates DR Congo’s opener against England (Michael Reaves/Getty Images)31. Bosnia and HerzegovinaFIFA ranking: 61➡️The win over Qatar and draw with Canada took Bosnia to their first knockout game as an independent nation (they were formerly part of Yugoslavia), marking a good achievement.Despite losing to the U.S., they will forever be remembered for beating Italy in UEFA’s World Cup qualification play-offs.32. South AfricaFIFA ranking: 54➡️Farewell then, to South Africa. After their opening-game defeat by Mexico, it felt like even the most optimistic of souls wouldn’t have thought they’d make it out of the group. Given this was the first time they had qualified for the knockout phase of the World Cup, they will probably view this World Cup as a success.But with any defeat in stoppage time comes a sense of what could have been. They were so close to taking the co-hosts into extra time and potentially penalties, where anything could have happened. Hugo Broos departs as the oldest man to ever coach a team in the knockout stages.33. IranFIFA ranking: 21➡️Iran were left to rue what could have been in their last match against Egypt, when they had an added-time winner disallowed for a marginal offside before hitting the crossbar even later on.A win would have guaranteed their progress to the knockout stages, but instead they were forced to wait for results from elsewhere and hope their three points and zero goal difference would be enough to see them through as one of the eight best third-placed sides. When Algeria scored what looked like an added-time winner in their final group match, Iran were going through, but Austria’s equaliser in the last moments of the game effectively knocked them out.Despite being in military conflict with one of the co-hosts, the U.S., in an unprecedented set of circumstances and having to fly in and out of the U.S. just hours before and after their matches, a decision that was eventually scrapped, Iran performed well in this tournament. To be eliminated without losing a match will undoubtedly sting.34. New ZealandFIFA ranking: 86➡️We will remember New Zealand at this World Cup for breakout star Elijah Just, who scored three goals, and for those Chris Wood touches in the first game against Iran.After that first game, they were overwhelmed by the quality of both Egypt and Belgium, losing comprehensively to both.But they played a part in their first World Cup since 2010, including their own viral sensation in Tim Payne. Their future goal will remain the same: reaching the knockouts for the first time.35. TurkeyFIFA ranking: 27➡️Possibly the most underwhelming team compared to their pre-tournament expectations at this year’s World Cup. Most would have predicted Turkey to progress ahead of Australia and Paraguay. Instead, they were eliminated with a game to spare.They saved face in their final match, scoring their first goals and earning a 3-2 win against the U.S., but it was too late to matter.