Day nine of the 2026 FIFA World Cup produced the tournament’s two most dramatic storylines so far. The United States men’s national team(USMNT) won Group D and climbed seven spots in the power rankings after a 2-0 victory over Australia, while Turkey became the first team eliminated from the tournament and one of the most shocking early exits in World Cup history.
Here is how every team ranks after the completion of matchday nine.
France remains at the top
France opened their campaign with a 3-1 win over Senegal and left no doubt about their standing. Kylian Mbappe scored twice, with his second goal moving him past Olivier Giroud as France’s all-time leading scorer. The depth of the squad was on display when Bradley Barcola came off the bench and added another. Against the team that won the Africa Cup of Nations in January, this was the kind of performance that justifies France’s place at the top.
Argentina and Messi deliver something unforgettable
Lionel Messi scored his first hat-trick at a World Cup, doing it at 38 years old in his sixth tournament appearance. The scale of that achievement is difficult to overstate. Argentina came through comfortably against Algeria, and while questions about the squad’s age and durability over a longer-than-usual tournament remain, this was exactly the start they needed.
USMNT makes history without its best player
USMNT were without Christian Pulisic, ruled out before kickoff with the calf injury that forced him off at halftime against Paraguay. His absence barely registered in the first half, where the USMNT controlled the game and took the lead through an own goal forced by Folarin Balogun’s run and cross. Alex Freeman added the second. The 2-0 result confirmed the United States as group winners for the first time since 2010.
The second half was not as convincing, and Mauricio Pochettino’s staff will have noted that USMNT visibly eased off once the result was secure. That tendency cannot continue into the knockout stage. But with Pulisic now having extra time to recover, USMNT head into the round of 32 with momentum, a fully intact roster, and a realistic path to something significant.
England’s attack announces itself
England beat Croatia 4-2 in a match that showcased exactly the kind of forward play Thomas Tuchel has been building toward. Harry Kane scored twice, Jude Bellingham restored the lead in the second half, and Marcus Rashford came off the bench to add a fourth. Croatia are a top-15 ranked nation, which gives the result genuine credibility. Defensive questions remain but the attacking firepower is real.
Germany runs up the score, Spain runs out of ideas
Germany defeated Curacao 7-1 in a result that tells us more about Curacao than about Germany. The attack looks creative and dangerous, but the defensive performance in a mismatch offers little useful information. Spain is the more concerning story. A 0-0 draw against Cape Verde was a humiliating result for the reigning European champions. The squad looks heavily dependent on Lamine Yamal, who entered the tournament less than fully fit, and the lack of attacking creativity from the rest of the team was alarming.
Brazil finds its form, Morocco advances
Brazil replaced Igor Thiago with Matheus Cunha against Haiti and the change worked immediately. Cunha scored twice before halftime, Vinicius Jr added a second consecutive tournament goal, and the 3-0 result was much more in line with what Carlo Ancelotti’s side is capable of. Morocco edged Scotland 1-0 in a match that was closer than the scoreline suggests and have now secured advancement to the knockout stage.
Turkey exits with a historic failure
Turkey went into this tournament as a popular dark horse pick. They had Kenan Yildiz and Arda Guler in attack, an experienced defense, and what appeared to be a favorable group. Sixty-two shots across two games. Zero goals. They could not score against a Paraguay side that played half the match with ten men after Miguel Almiron was sent off. The elimination after just two games is among the most stunning collapses in recent World Cup memory.
Other notable results
Canada demolished Qatar 6-0 in Vancouver, with Jonathan David scoring a hat-trick, securing the co-hosts’ first ever World Cup win in some style. Sweden’s 5-1 thrashing of Tunisia raised genuine questions about whether Graham Potter’s side could be a dark horse. Erling Haaland scored twice as Norway beat Iraq 4-1. Scotland’s earlier 1-0 win over Haiti puts them in a reasonable position to advance as a third-place team, though they would need a result against Brazil to guarantee it.
Ghana beat Panama in stoppage time. Switzerland’s 4-1 win over Bosnia-Herzegovina produced the youngest player to score a double as a substitute in World Cup history, with 20-year-old Johan Manzambi netting twice off the bench for the Swiss.
