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World Cup Power Rankings: Who are the front-runners with 48 hours to go?

With just 48 hours until the 2026 World Cup begins, our reporters ranked the top 15 contenders for this summer's top prize as they see it. Did your national team make the cut?

17hJames Tyler
Illustration by ESPN

World Cup Rank: The 50 best players in the 2026 tournament

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TOP HEADLINES

MLB SCOREBOARD

ASIAN CONTENDERS

Son has had quite the World Cup journey -- but will 2026 be his final hurrah?

3dGabriel Tan
Illustration by ESPN

Japan plan to win the World Cup by 2050. How close will they get in 2026?

6dGabriel Tan
NBA Finals - Game 3NY leads series 2-1

Everything the Spurs figured out in their Game 3 win, and why the Knicks struggled

13hZach Kram
Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images

The Spurs bounce back in Game 3! Biggest takeaways from the NBA Finals

21hNBA insiders

De'Aaron Fox drills step-back to ice Spurs' Game 3 win at MSG

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Victor Wembanyama is second-youngest with 30-5-5 in a Finals game

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MSG erupts as Clarkson beats shot clock with triple

22h
0:19

Wembanyama gets up for clutch chase-down block for Spurs

21h
0:25

Wemby elevates to finish alley-oop from Castle

22h
0:25

Brunson somehow gets unreal circus shot to fall plus the foul

22h
0:27

Harper soars past Anunoby for huge 2-hand flush

23h
0:22

Wemby Eurosteps into the lane for an and-1

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    FIFA WORLD CUP

    Messi vs Ronaldo at 2026 World Cup: How dream showdown could happen

    18hAnirudh Menon
    ESPN/Shruti Sadbhav

    Džeko, Ronaldo, Modrić ... why are there so many over-40 players at the World Cup?

    17hTom Hamilton

    REAL MADRID

    Forget Mourinho, star signings: Pérez's next big move could change Real Madrid forever

    1dAlex Kirkland
    Federico Titone/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

    Perez hails 'extraordinary result' after winning Real Madrid presidential election

    2d
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    UFC FREEDOM 250

    Inside the planning and building of a UFC event on federal land

    14hMichael Rothstein
    Yuri Gripas/Abaca/Bloomberg via Getty Images

    Gaethje, Topuria exchange words on 'The Pat McAfee Show'

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    THE GOAT RETURNS!

    What we learned from Serena Williams' first match back

    4hJames Regan
    Paul Harding/Getty Images

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