World Cup 2018 Power Rankings: Updated After Every Team's Second Game
Quick as a flash, two rounds of 2018 World Cup fixtures were completed. Time flies when you're having fun, right?
After an incredible opening volley of games packed with moments, goals and shocks, round two followed suit, handing us another generous display of late drama, stunning strikes and heartbreak. Eight of the 32 teams have already been eliminated, while seven sides have booked their spots in the knockout stage.
As always, the nations are ranked on likelihood of lifting the World Cup. Strength of performance through two rounds is a natural indicator of this, though there's still a little room for general ability, clout and strength of schedule to be considered, too.
Naturally, the eight eliminated teams take up the bottom eight spots in the rankings, forming their own sort of mini-list. They're ordered by how impressive they were, with good play rewarded.
You can view the post-Round 1 rankings here.
32-31: Saudi Arabia, Panama
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32. Saudi Arabia (Stay)
Saudi Arabia's much-improved performance against Uruguay helped repair some of the damage they dealt to their reputation in the opener against Russia. Ball circulation was a lot better but still non-threatening.
31. Panama (Stay)
Competing with the likes of Belgium and England was always going to be beyond Panama, but they did achieve one glorious thing on Matchday 2: their first-ever World Cup goal.
Felipe Baloy, a 37-year-old set to retire from international duty after this tournament, etched his name into the history books.
30-26: Tunisia, Egypt, Poland, Costa Rica, Morocco
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30. Tunisia (-2)
It's difficult to figure out if Tunisia should be lambasted for their recklessness or applauded for their bravery.
They're one of the weakest teams at the tournament but refused to sit in and defend deep, instead pressing and leaving themselves wide-open to counter-attacks. Both England and Belgium punished them for it.
29. Egypt (-5)
Even with Mohamed Salah back in the XI, Egypt failed to find their World Cup groove.
They were well beaten by Russia on Tuesday night, and although it was heartwarming to see Salah hit the back of the net from 12 yards, you could tell he wasn't up to speed.
28. Poland (-5)
If you weigh Poland's talent versus their performance levels in Russia, the conclusions are pretty bleak. How a team housing the likes of Robert Lewandowski and Piotr Zielinski produced such insipid outings is a mystery.
27. Costa Rica (-1)
Costa Rica held firm against Brazil for 90 long minutes, then agonisingly fell to pieces and conceded twice. It was a valiant defensive effort—just as it was against Serbia in Game 1—but again, the lack of a goalscoring threat meant they were never in danger of winning.
The loss eliminated them from contention in Group E. In Game 3 against Switzerland, they'll play for pride—and a goal.
26. Morocco (-1)
Morocco will be kicking themselves. They've played well in two games and lost them both 1-0, sealing an early exit from the World Cup.
Their pressing and possession game was impressive against Portugal, but clear-cut chances weren't created en masse, and any half-chances regrettably fell to centre-back Medhi Benatia.
25-21: Peru, South Korea, Iceland, Australia, Argentina
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25. Peru (-4)
There are parallels between Peru and Morocco. Both have played lovely football, encouraging neutrals to get behind them, but both have lacked the crucial cutting edge in front of goal...and it has cost them dearly.
Two 1-0 defeats knocked Peru out of the competition. They supplied us with a wild ride, though.
24. South Korea (+6)
South Korea are off the mark goalswise with Son Heung-Min having netted a pearler against Mexico, but it wasn't enough to grab them a point. They're now on the verge of being eliminated, as their final group game comes against reigning champions Germany.
They only moved up because every eliminated team had to drop below them.
23. Iceland (-3)
Iceland are up against it. Their point against Argentina was heroic, but losing to Nigeria put them in a bit of a hole.
They'll need to beat Croatia, who've excelled, to have any hope of qualifying.
22. Australia (+5)
Through 180 World Cup minutes, Australia have acquitted themselves extremely well; coach Bert van Marwijk has sculpted a smart side that belies its technical limitations. The point against Denmark was well-earned.
Now, will we see them roll the dice in Game 3, start exciting youngster Daniel Arzani and hunt a win that could result in qualification?
21. Argentina (-12)
Anyone hoping this might be Lionel Messi's summer of international glory might want to steel themselves. Argentina are more flawed than anyone could have imagined and are lucky their 3-0 defeat against Croatia wasn't closer to 6-0.
The formation, personnel and approach are all off. They descended into desperation hacking for the final 10 minutes on Thursday night.
20-16: Iran, Sweden, Serbia, Nigeria, Senegal
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20. Iran (-1)
Iran came so, so close to springing the ultimate surprise against Spain. An incredible defensive effort kept them in it until half-time, and after conceding in the second half, they were only denied an equaliser by an offside call.
Progressing from Group B looks like a tall order, but given how poor Portugal looked against Morocco, it's not out of the question Team Melli shock the world in Game 3.
19. Sweden (-2)
Late, late heartbreak. It wouldn't be a World Cup without it.
Sweden looked on course for a vital point against Germany until Toni Kroos struck deep in stoppage time, turning the game on its head and leaving the Scandinavians in a rough spot.
Their final group game is against Mexico, who've been among the best teams in the tournament, and the likelihood is they'll have to win it, as you'd expect Germany to beat South Korea.
18. Serbia (-7)
For 50 minutes, Serbia were brilliant against Switzerland. Aleksandar Mitrovic played a terrorising role up front, Dusan Tadic was whipping in great crosses, and Nikola Milenkovic looked solid in defence.
But in the last 40 minutes, things turned, and Serbia went from a winning position to a losing one. They can perhaps be criticised for sitting in and regressing, but they came out on the wrong side of an intense battle.
A valiant effort, but it's left them in a hole; they likely need to beat Brazil in Game 3 to qualify.
17. Nigeria (+12)
Group D is brilliant, isn't it? In no way, shape or form is it progressing as the script suggested it would, with twists and turns at every juncture.
Nigeria awoke in the second half against Iceland, scoring two lovely goals and slamming their World Cup campaign back on track. A draw against Argentina will probably be enough to qualify.
16. Senegal (-2)
Some disastrous goalkeeping by Senegal late on against Japan surrendered two precious points in the hunt to qualify from Group H. It's amazing how quickly and easily things can shift.
They now face a buoyant Colombia and know a loss could send them home if Japan at least draw already eliminated Poland.
15-11: Japan, Denmark, Colombia, Switzerland, Germany
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15. Japan (+3)
Japan have surprised many with their strong World Cup so far. Given they only hired their manager in April, it's remarkable how seamlessly things have slotted into place.
A draw against Senegal was the least they deserved, and had Yuya Osako played like he did in the first game, perhaps they'd have scooped all three points. That profligacy might well cost them come the end of the week.
14. Denmark (-1)
Denmark's fast start against Australia, resulting in an early peach of a goal by Christian Eriksen to put them 1-0 up, had many thinking they'd soon be on six points—and perhaps even qualify for the latter stages by the end of the day.
But they slowed right down and allowed their opponents to grab a foothold—just as they did with Peru in Game 1—and by the end, they were hanging on for a draw. Four points on the board, but questions to be answered.
13. Colombia (+9)
Recovering from a horror first game is sometimes easier said than done, so props to Colombia, who did so in fine style.
With a fit James Rodriguez partnering Juan Quintero in midfield, plus a confident Juan Cuadrado running the flanks, they blew Poland away, growing stronger with every passing minute.
They're ranked higher than both Japan and Senegal in this list despite sitting below them in Group H. The reason for that is—in keeping with how the teams are ordered—we'd back Colombia to beat Senegal in Game 3 and qualify with six points.
12. Switzerland (+3)
Xherdan Shaqiri, saviour.
His last-gasp goal against Serbia won them the game and put them in a very strong position. With Brazil out of the way too, they just have already-eliminated Costa Rica on the schedule, and a point will secure qualification.
This Swiss outfit won't wow you, but they're incredibly resilient, defensively savvy and have a spark in Shaqiri that can win games.
11. Germany (+1)
Welcome to the tournament, Germany.
It took Joachim Low's men 135 minutes to warm up, but in that second half against Sweden, they fully found their groove—despite being reduced to 10 men in the closing stages.
Where Thomas Muller and Mesut Ozil—Germany's seasoned World Cup veterans—are falling short, Marco Reus and Timo Werner—relative fresh meat in this team—are pulling through with the goods.
10. Russia (+6)
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Russia are flying.
They followed their 5-0 win over Saudi Arabia with a 3-1 victory over Egypt, with Denis Cheryshev, Aleksandr Golovin and Artem Dzyuba striking all the right notes once again.
Because of their plus-seven goal difference, they only need a draw with Uruguay (plus-two) to win Group A.
9. Brazil (-1)
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We've been waiting rather impatiently for the "real" Brazil to show up, and finally, in the last 15 minutes of their game against Costa Rica on Friday, we bore witness to it.
Tite's throwing on Douglas Costa and Roberto Firmino gave the Selecao a sharper edge in attack, then Philippe Coutinho and Neymar scored deserved goals to put Los Ticos away. They looked dynamic, fast and inventive; in other words, the polar opposite to their first 165 minutes in Russia.
We still need to see a little more from Brazil to be comfortable labelling them a contender, but the signs are good.
8. Uruguay (-3)
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It's possible to spin Uruguay's tournament in two distinct ways.
If you're a glass-half-full person, then La Celeste have acquired six points from a possible six and are yet to concede a goal. They're through to the Round of 16 and look as stubborn and difficult to beat as ever.
If you're of the glass-half-empty persuasion, though, you might be tempted to point out they've played two poor teams, have only scored from set pieces and that Luis Suarez—despite netting against Saudi Arabia—looks a shadow of his usual self.
Oscar Tabarez's men are tough to gauge.
7. Portugal (-5)
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Per B/R's Marcus Alves, this was Portugal manager Fernando Santos' assessment of his team's performance against Morocco: "We'll have to do something. We have to talk. We couldn't keep the ball. This is inexplicable. I tried to talk to the players about it, but it seems they're lacking confidence. We have to rectify this for sure."
You'd think they lost 3-0 rather than won 1-0.
In truth, though, his point holds: The Seleccao won but had to scrap for it against Morocco, looking second-best for long periods.
Still, this team's propensity to grind out tough results is well-known. Should it concern or inspire?
6. France (-2)
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France's first-half performance against Peru was filled with promise. With Olivier Giroud leading the line and the roles clearly defined, Les Bleus found their rhythm and created a host of chances—one of which the excellent Kylian Mbappe put away.
But in the second they let the game drift out of their grasp—just as they did against Australia last week—and not only struggled to create chances at the same rate but also were forced to defend manfully too.
Still, despite the doubts and concerns that continue to hover over this group, they've accrued the maximum six points and sit first in their group.
5. England (+2)
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England's performance against Panama was, in some ways, the complete opposite of the one they produced against Tunisia.
Whereas in the opener they started fast, played quick football but missed a slew of chances, they blew Panama away with an unerring, clinical edge despite not upping the gears.
It's still tough to say how good England are given the weak nature of their two opponents, but they're outperforming the likes of France and Uruguay, and those two sides haven't met strong opponents either.
4. Belgium (+2)
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Belgium have scored eight goals in two games. Some of the World Cup's top teams are failing to fire, but you can't level that accusation against the Red Devils.
Romelu Lukaku, Eden Hazard, Dries Mertens and Kevin De Bruyne have hit form, scoring and supplying for one another, and the former two in particular look like they mean serious business in Russia.
Still, it's hard to gauge Belgium's relative strength. They've played two of the poorest teams in the tournament.
3. Mexico (Stay)
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Mexico proved on Saturday that they can win two ways, and that should concern potential latter-stage opponents.
In showing their counter-attacking strength against Germany, then their creative build-up play against South Korea, they dismissed the idea that they're simple pace merchants who only threaten if given space.
Carlos Vela is in fine form roaming between the lines, the midfield pivot is rock-solid, and the difference-makers are doing the business up top.
2. Croatia (+8)
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With so few of the perceived "heavyweights" living up to expectations, Croatia's incredible start to this tournament takes on new levels of intrigue. Before they were talented but difficult to back; now, however, should they be considered a favourite?
The performances so far have not been perfect by any means—two clean sheets belie the fact there have been some uncomfortable moments in defence—but when you have Luka Modric and Ivan Rakitic playing at their peak, anything seems possible.
Add them to a bruising front line, and you have a recipe to go deep in this tournament.
1. Spain (Stay)
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Many likely expected Spain to steamroll Iran, but the challenge they presented ensured Fernando Hierro's men really had to think about how to break them down.
In the end it was a stroke of luck that brought them the win—Ramin Rezaeian's attempted clearance deflected off Diego Costa and trickled in—but this is often what you need to beat Team Melli; they're impressively stubborn and often surprise you.
With a win secured and top spot in Group B held (however flimsily), there's no reason to move Spain down off top spot in the rankings.
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