Mexico upstaged USMNT at the 2026 World Cup—and FIFA took notice

The U.S. men’s national team and Mexico both saw their World Cup dreams end in the round of 16, yet FIFA’s new world rankings heavily favored El Tri over the Stars and Stripes.

The two co-host nations came into the showpiece event with the highest of expectations. Both received a favorable draw back in December and were counting down the days until they got the chance to show out on the world stage in front of home crowds.

The USMNT and Mexico did just that, both topping their groups with relative ease before cruising past their opponents in the round of 32. They each fell just short of the quarterfinals, bowing out of the 2026 World Cup in the round of 16.

For all the parallels, their journeys were wildly different on home soil this summer—and FIFA had a front row seat.

FIFA’s World Rankings Crown Mexico Concacaf’s Best

Just 24 hours after Spain defeated Argentina to win the 2026 World Cup, FIFA unveiled its new men’s world rankings. La Roja unsurprisingly knocked Lionel Messi & Co. out of the top spot, while Portugal took a dive down to seventh after winning just two of its five matches this summer.

Rounding out the top 10 is Mexico. El Tri jumped up four places, a testament to its thrilling run to the last 16. Four years ago, Mexico could not even get out of its group in Qatar and now, it is ahead the likes of Germany, Colombia and the USMNT in the world rankings.

Mauricio Pochettino’s men also improved their standing, but just by one place; the USMNT went from 17th in the world rankings to 16th following its World Cup exit. The minuscule movement keeps Italy, a nation that did not even qualify as one of the 48 teams competing in North America, above the Stars the Stripes.

FIFA clearly not only rates Mexico miles ahead of the USMNT, but also views the United States’s run this summer not overly impressive.

Mexico Outshined the USMNT—and It Wasn’t Very Close

The disparity between Mexico and the USMNT is not at all surprising when taking in both team’s respective bodies of work this summer. El Tri secured three wins in the group stage, coming out on top against South Africa, South Korea and Czechia without conceding a single goal.

The Stars and Stripes won their first two matches against Paraguay and Australia, scoring six goals along the way. Then, Pochettino heavily rotated his side for the Group D finale and paid the price with a loss to Türkiye.

The USMNT had already won the group so the result did not technically matter, but it was a warning sign.

Mexico vs. USMNT: Group Stage Results

Mexico went on to the round of 32 and calmly dispatched a tricky Ecuador side 2–0 thanks to goals from Raúl Jiménez and Julián Quiñones. Javier Aguirre’s men had now gone 360 minutes without conceding a goal on the biggest stage in the world.

The USMNT also put in an impressive performance in the round of 32, defeating Bosnia and Herzegovina 2–0 despite going down to 10 men after Folarin Balogun was controversially sent off in the second half.

The striker’s red card ban would soon be suspended in an unprecedented move from FIFA, allowing Balogun to feature in the round of 16. Yet even with the strongest lineup available, the Stars and Stripes faced off with Belgium and got completely embarrassed, committing a host of self-inflicted blunders to gift the Red Devils a 4–1 win.

The dismal effort on home soil was a far cry from Mexico’s elimination. The 2025 Gold Cup winners had the much harder task of getting past England and valiantly came from behind twice to try and send Thomas Tuchel’s men packing. But even a red card to Jarell Quansah and the Azteca altitude was not enough to deny the Three Lions their 3–2 victory.

Still, El Tri put together a campaign worthy of a top 10 place in the world rankings. The team looked more impressive in its one defeat to England, who is now ranked fourth in the world, than the USMNT did the entire knockout stage. When the lights were the brightest, Mexico’s top players rose to the occasion, while the likes of Christian Pulisic and Weston McKennie did not even show up, once again showcasing just how inconsistent and lackluster the USMNT is at its core.

What About Canada?

Canada, this summer’s third co-host, also finished in the round of 16, bowing out of the 2026 World Cup alongside the USMNT and Mexico. Yet FIFA kept Jesse Marsch’s side ranked as the 30th best team in the world.

The Reds were the most disappointing of the three host nations this summer. They began the competition with a 1–1 draw against Bosnia and Herzegovina, then bounced back with a 6–0 win over a Qatar team with nine men, before losing 2–1 to Switzerland in their final group stage clash.

Canada only finished second in Group B, forcing the host nation to play its knockout stage matches in the United States. Marsch’s men needed a stoppage-time winner to get past South Africa in the round of 32, all to then fall 3–0 to Morocco in the round of 16.

It’s no wonder FIFA kept Canada far from Mexico and the USMNT; the team only secured one win this summer against a side at full strength. Still, it was a magical run for the Reds, who came into the tournament without ever winning a World Cup match.

There was an immense feeling of pride throughout Canada and Mexico despite the teams’ round of 16 defeats, whereas the overwhelming sentiment throughout the United States was one of embarrassment.

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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Mexico Upstaged USMNT at the 2026 World Cup—and FIFA Took Notice.