World Cup power rankings: France, Spain, Argentina and England were the top 4 all along

At the 2026 FIFA World Cup semifinal stage, France, Spain, Argentina, and England have emerged as the final four teams, all of whom were ranked in FIFA's top four heading into the tournament. All four nations are previous World Cup champions and have each reached multiple major finals over the past decade and a half. The article, published on July 13, 2026, notes this is the first time the top four FIFA-ranked teams have all made the semifinals.