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Previous Power Ranking Spot: 35
Another World Cup newcomer is Uzbekistan, which made the field of 48 through the AFC.
A second-placed finish in Group A of Round 3 was enough to stamp its ticket ahead of Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.
While the squad will make history as the first representatives of Central Asia to reach the global showpiece, there is little hope of picking up points in North America, especially against Portugal and Colombia.
When your best player is a defender, Manchester City center-back Abdukodir Khusanov, that doesn’t provide much hope of securing an upset.
Previous Power Ranking Spot: 34
In 2014, Algeria was a dark-horse team at the World Cup in Brazil, with a handful of players who were performing brilliantly in Europe, including Riyad Mahrez, Yacine Brahimi, Islam Slimani, Sofiane Feghouli, Nabil Bentaleb and Faouzi Ghoulam.
Unfortunately, the nation hasn’t had similar success in its talent factory since. A handful of those players are still being relied upon heading into 2026.
The Desert Foxes still managed to top their CAF qualifying group, winning eight of 10 to progress comfortably.
However, the glory years of Algerian football seem to be coming to an end. While it will be great for players like Mahrez, Slimani, Brahimi and Bentaleb to have one last shot at a World Cup, another trip to the knockouts won’t be on the cards.
Previous Power Ranking Spot: 32
Ghana has a notable World Cup pedigree, making the quarterfinals in 2010 and only exiting at that stage because of some serious gamesmanship from none other than Uruguay’s Luis Suarez.
However, that was nearly 16 years ago, and the squad is much different since that incredible run.
Still, they now have a true star in Antoine Semenyo, who earned a big-money move to Manchester City after some thrilling Premier League performances with Bournemouth.
The 26-year-old can’t be able to bring success to the Black Stars on his own, but he will produce a couple of highlight-reel moments. With a match against England in Group L, he could also use his knowledge of some familiar foes to trigger an upset.
The Black Stars have lost to World Cup-caliber opposition in their last four outings, conceding 10 and scoring two, which doesn’t bode well for the tournament.
Previous Power Ranking Spot: 33
Australia hasn’t missed a World Cup since 2006, and it will be hoping to build on its surprising run to the round of 16 in Qatar.
There’s a mixture of emerging talents and established veterans peppered through the squad, but there’s little in the way of true quality.
A run of three straight defeats against Colombia, Venezuela and the United States between October and November will also raise questions about the Socceroos’ potential going into the summer, despite victories against Cameroon and Curaçao in March.
The experience of Mathew Ryan will help, but there’s not a lot he can do to influence things while stuck between the sticks.
Previous Power Ranking Spot: New entry
Sweden picked up just two points in European qualifying Group B. However, after winning their Nations League Group C1, they were granted one last chance to pick up a World Cup ticket. The Blågult grabbed that opportunity with both hands.
An 88th-minute Viktor Gyökeres strike was enough to seal a 3-2 win over Poland and passage to North America, marking the nation’s first World Cup appearance since 2018.
The Scandinavians will be an interesting proposition in a tough Group F, with the Netherlands, Japan, and Tunisia lying in wait.
If Alexander Isak gets back to full fitness in time, a frontline featuring him and Gyökeres could be the recipe for at least one upset.
The arrival of Graham Potter in the dugout has obviously changed the national team’s fortunes, but it would be a surprise if they rode their luck some more to extend their tournament stay beyond the round of 32.
Previous Power Ranking Spot: 31
New Zealand has made two World Cups in its history, but it has never won a game.
Among the players who featured at that last effort in 2010 was Chris Wood, who was then an 18-year-old striker on the books of West Bromwich Albion.
Assuming he can recover from an injury that has kept him out for much of Nottingham Forest’s season, he’ll be back in 2026 in what is surely his last major tournament for the All Whites. He’ll be a major threat in the six-yard box for Belgium, Egypt and Iran to contend with in Group G.
The supporting cast is perhaps the problem, but with football tactics increasingly favoring balls lumped into the box and bypassing the midfield, perhaps the stars have aligned for New Zealand to make the most of Wood’s significant aerial presence and secure a first World Cup victory.
Previous Power Ranking Spot: 30
Scotland has not been to the World Cup since 1998, as the national team left it late to secure a spot for 2026.
In a crucial qualifying game against Denmark, the Tartan Army needed a win to confirm their place in the North American showpiece. They twice had the lead, but were twice pegged back.
However, a dramatic, 93rd-minute strike from Kieran Tierney all but confirmed Scotland’s qualification, before a 98th-minute strike from the halfway line by Kenny McLean put things beyond doubt.
Scotland’s recent success has been down to organization, grit and a never-say-die attitude. For them to have one of Europe’s most in-form players in Scott McTominay hasn’t hurt, either.
In Group C, Scotland will make life extremely difficult for Morocco and Brazil but will ultimately taste defeat. A win against Haiti might be forthcoming, which could be enough to get the country to its first World Cup knockout phase in history as one of the best third-place finishers.
Previous Power Ranking Spot: 27
For many, Paraguay will always hold a special place in football fans’ hearts because of Jose Luis Chilavert, the legendary free-kick-taking and penalty-scoring goalkeeper.
Sadly, those days are long gone, but it’s still great to see La Albirroja back on the world stage for the first time since 2010.
Now, it’s Atlanta’s Miguel Almiron who’ll be trusted with the dead-ball situations. While that’s entirely less fun than a burly goalkeeper sprinting the length of the field, smashing in a goal, and then legging it back again, the 32-year-old is still an extremely reliable option.
Paraguay snagged the final World Cup-qualifying spot from the Conmebol federation, earning seven wins from 18 games to finish sixth.
That doesn’t sound great, but when you see that second-place Ecuador picked up just eight wins and finished only a point ahead of Paraguay, things look a lot better.
With games against USA, Australia and Turkiye in Group D, Paraguay will feel quietly confident of qualification, even if only as one of the best third-placed teams.
31. Bosnia and Herzegovina
Previous Power Ranking Spot: New entry
Against the odds, Bosnia and Herzegovina are heading to the World Cup at Italy’s expense, with the Azzurri inexplicably missing their third consecutive tournament.
In their final qualifying game, Bosnia had to rely on penalties and were helped by Alessandro Bastoni’s first-half red card, but nothing matters other than the result.
The Dragons have 40-year-old Edin Dzeko leading the line. He seems rejuvenated after scoring six goals in his last eight international appearances. The trip to North America will be just his second World Cup tournament in his storied career.
In a group with Switzerland, Canada, and Qatar, Bosnia will sniff an opportunity to make it to the knockout rounds. A sturdy defensive line could be the key to vital points.
Previous Power Ranking Spot: 29
Tunisia flew through its World Cup qualifying campaign, going undefeated in Group H with nine wins in 10 games.
The Eagles of Carthage will also be uplifted by November’s 1-1 draw against a strong, if not full-strength, Brazil team.
Challenges will come against higher-caliber teams than the one they faced in CAF qualifying, but a shared confidence following that campaign could deliver a surprising victory in Group F, with Sweden likely earmarked as prey.
