World Cup day 13 sees Portugal's Ronaldo brace and shifts in team rankings
Portugal advanced with a 5-0 win over Uzbekistan, highlighted by Cristiano Ronaldo’s two goals, while several teams moved up or down in a performance-based ranking after the thirteenth day of matches.
Portugal recovered from a lackluster opening match by defeating Uzbekistan 5-0, with Cristiano Ronaldo scoring twice and becoming the first player to net in six different World Cups. The win placed Portugal fifth in the latest performance ranking, though analysts cautioned that the opposition was inexperienced.
France remained at the top of the list after a 3-0 victory over Iraq, with Kylian Mbappé scoring twice and Michael Olise providing two assists. Argentina stayed second, propelled by Lionel Messi’s five goals in two games, including a brace against Austria that made him the tournament’s all-time leading scorer.
Germany moved up to third after a 2-1 win over the Ivory Coast, secured by Deniz Undav’s late double. Spain rose one spot after a 4-0 rout of Saudi Arabia, featuring goals from Lamine Yamal and Mikel Oyarzabal. England slipped one place following a goalless draw with Ghana, while the Netherlands and Brazil each improved after convincing wins over Sweden and Haiti respectively.
Other notable movements included Norway’s rise after a 3-2 win over Senegal, driven by Erling Haaland’s double, and the United States climbing after victories over Paraguay and Australia. Morocco, Colombia, and several other nations also shifted positions based on their group-stage results.
"Ronaldo became the first man to score in six different World Cups," the ranking notes.
"Mbappé scored twice for the second match in a row," the analysis adds.
The updated rankings reflect each team’s recent performances rather than FIFA’s official standings, emphasizing wins, goal margins and individual contributions.