France head the Guardian's power rankings for the 2026 World Cup, published this week as part of a comprehensive assessment of all 48 nations set to compete in the tournament. The rankings, compiled by the Guardian's writers and contributors from around the world, place Senegal and Japan among the other sides to feature in the top ten.
The case for France's primacy rests not only on their results but on the scale of the squad available to the manager Didier Deschamps. According to the Guardian, France beat Brazil 2-1 in their opening March fixture despite having Dayot Upamecano dismissed after 55 minutes. For the second fixture of the window, against Colombia, Deschamps changed his entire starting eleven and still fielded an attack comprising Marcus Thuram, Désiré Doué, Rayan Cherki and Maghnes Akliouche. Doué scored twice in a 3-1 victory.
The breadth of that selection speaks to a problem most managers would welcome. As the Guardian reports, Deschamps acknowledged the situation plainly: he is aware, he said, that there are very good players he will not be selecting because, in his view, better ones are available. It is the kind of luxury that defines genuine tournament favourites, and France have rarely had it so abundantly.
Kylian Mbappé offered his own assessment after the Brazil result, telling reporters that France have more talent and potential now than they did at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, where they finished as runners-up, beaten by Argentina in the final on penalties. That tournament already marked France as one of the world's leading sides; the suggestion that this edition of the squad surpasses it will focus minds among rival nations.
The inclusion of Senegal and Japan in the top ten reflects the broader ambition of the 48-team format, which brings in a wider range of serious contenders than previous editions. Both nations have demonstrated in recent cycles that they are capable of progressing deep into knockout rounds, and the expanded draw gives them more room to build momentum through the group stage. Whether any side can match the collective quality France appear to possess remains the central question as the tournament approaches.