Published
Jun 23, 2026 at 02:29 AM EDT
Can a bunch of Vikings rowing an imaginary boat make it all the way to the World Cup Final in a month’s time?
Well, Erling Haaland and the Norwegian team are off to an amazing start on North American soil, blowing out Iraq in their first match before beating one of the other top dark horses, Senegal, on Monday to advance to the Round of 32.
It was a big day for the quartet of Norway, Senegal, France, and Iraq, as the Kylian Mbappe kept up his goal scoring form alongside Haaland as the two generational talents both scored two goals in back-to-back games. France, who dispatched of Iraq with little difficult, still feel like they haven’t gotten out of first gear in their opening two match days.
And while a fight with Norway on the horizon should be a tasty one, the fact that both teams have advanced with neither path particularly easier than the other could lead to both sides rotating their starters for the heavyweight matchup.
The big riser of the day was the final team to win on the night, Algeria, who came from behind to defeat Jordan 2-1 and put themselves in a strong position to get out of their group going into a final game against Austria.
Speaking of the Austrians, they did their best but fell to the defending World Cup champions of Argentina, who will keep their spot as the No. 1 team in the rankings until someone can knock them off.
Congratulations to Lionel Messi for breaking the record for most goals in a men’s or women’s World Cup with 18 (and counting).
More news: Argentina Star Shockingly Asks to Leave Pro Club After World Cup Win
More news: A Plea to the USMNT: Never Change These World Cup Uniforms Again
The World Cup Power Rankings (After Day 12)
- Argentina
- France
- England
- Netherlands
- Japan
- United States of America
- Norway
- Germany
- Spain
- Brazil
- Colombia
- Morocco
- Ivory Coast
- Mexico
- Canada
- Australia
- Sweden
- Scotland
- Croatia
- Switzerland
- Egypt
- Austria
- Algeria
- South Korea
- Paraguay
- Uruguay
- Cape Verde
- Senegal
- Belgium
- Iran
- New Zealand
- Portugal
- Ecuador
- Curaçao
- Ghana
- DR Congo
- Uzbekistan
- Saudi Arabia
- Czechia
- Bosnia & Herzegovina
- Jordan
- Iraq
- South Africa
- Panama
- Turkey
- Haiti
- Qatar
- Tunisia
