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The 2026 FIFA World Cup is the biggest the tournament has ever been. And The Athletic is making sure nobody forgets it by ranking every single one of the 104 matches from worst to best as the competition unfolds across the US, Canada, and Mexico.
That is not a typo. One hundred and four matches. For context, the 2022 World Cup in Qatar featured 64 games.
The biggest World Cup demands the biggest ranking
This is the first World Cup to feature 48 teams, up from the 32-team format that had been standard since 1998. The expansion added 40 more matches to the schedule.
The Athletic’s ranking system kicked off shortly after the tournament opened on June 11, 2026. The concept is straightforward: watch every game, assess its quality, drama, and significance, then slot it into a running list that updates as the tournament progresses.
The current top spot belongs to the goalless draw between Cape Verde and Saudi Arabia. Cape Verde, making their World Cup debut in this expanded format, and Saudi Arabia, who famously upset Argentina in the 2022 group stage, apparently decided to cancel each other out entirely.
Morocco’s 4-2 victory over Haiti sits second in the rankings, with England’s 4-2 win against Croatia also earning high marks.
Why 104 matches changes everything
The previous format change happened in 1998, when FIFA expanded from 24 to 32 teams. That shift brought nations like Japan, Jamaica, and South Africa into the fold for the first time. The 2026 expansion follows a similar logic, opening doors for smaller footballing nations who previously had almost no path to qualification.
The Athletic has paired its match rankings with team assessments and group standings coverage, building out a comprehensive tracking system for the tournament.
Disclosure: This article was edited by Editorial Team. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.
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