BBC Sport journalists have ranked all 16 remaining teams at the 2026 World Cup, judging them purely on their performances in the tournament so far.
France sit at the top of the pile, having looked utterly unbeatable with Kylian Mbappe in outstanding form throughout the group stages.
Spain come in second despite a shock 0-0 draw with Cape Verde in their opener, with the feeling that they have plenty more to offer as the tournament progresses.
Argentina are third on the strength of Lionel Messi’s leadership alone, though they were given an almighty scare by Cape Verde before edging through 3-2 in the last 32.
Brazil have quietly emerged as genuine contenders under Carlo Ancelotti, with Vinicius Jr in fine scoring form and the team impressing those who had largely overlooked them before the tournament.
Morocco, semi-finalists four years ago in Qatar, arrive at the last 16 looking every bit as dangerous and capable of causing problems for any opponent they face.
Colombia are ranked sixth and represent one of the most exciting sides of the tournament, full of pace and dynamism with Luis Diaz providing a genuine spark in attack.
Mexico are seventh, described as explosive going forward and rock solid defensively, and they are set to pose what promises to be a huge test for England in the knockout rounds.
England come in at eighth after an impressive second-half performance in their 4-2 win over Croatia, though they have struggled to hit those heights again since that opening fixture.
Norway sit ninth with Erling Haaland looking his usual prolific self, backed by a capable supporting cast, though the team have been more solid than spectacular overall.
The United States, as co-hosts, rank tenth with football fever growing across the country, but a perceived lack of that decisive X-factor could ultimately prove costly.
Portugal are eleventh despite not yet hitting top gear, while Switzerland celebrate their first World Cup knockout-stage victory since 1938, ranked twelfth ahead of a stern test against Colombia.
Egypt are thirteenth and will need Mohamed Salah to truly come to the party if they are to have any hope of progressing further in the competition.
Belgium scraped into the last 16 after an extraordinary comeback, coming from two goals down to beat Senegal 3-2, but they will need significant improvement to go any further.
Canada, in fifteenth, have perhaps already exceeded expectations going into the tournament, while Paraguay round out the rankings after producing one of the biggest shocks of the competition by eliminating Germany.
