France Still Leads as World Cup Rankings Hit a Post-Day-20 Shake-Up

France remains No. 1 in The Athletic’s post-day-20 World Cup rankings, with Argentina and Brazil close behind and Spain and England rounding out the top five. Mexico vaults to sixth after a perfect group run and a first knockout win in 40 years, while the United States and Canada sit in the mix as hosts pushing toward the knockouts. Norway reach the last 16, Cape Verde make history by advancing, and a flurry of movements reshapes the table across the 48-team field as Round of 16 approaches, with notable drops for teams like the Netherlands and Germany and several big-match previews to come.