Dembélé Has Overtaken Vini Jr. in FIFA's Rankings — and Brazil Are Already Out
After his goal and strong display against Morocco, Dembélé climbed to 7th in FIFA's forward rankings. Vini Jr. has dropped to 9th.
The World Cup rolls on — but Vini Jr. is no longer part of it, and FIFA's player rankings are already showing it.
Following Ousmane Dembélé's goal and strong performance in France's quarter-final victory over Morocco, the Frenchman jumped to seventh place in FIFA's power ranking for forwards, with a score of 7.10. Belgium's Charles De Ketelaere reached the same mark after scoring in his country's defeat to Spain. The result: Vini Jr. tumbled down to ninth place, rated at 6.95.
At the top of the list, Mbappé remains untouchable. The French No. 10, who also found the net against Morocco, leads the forward category with a score of 8.86. Messi appears in second (8.19) and Haaland in third (7.84), according to UOL Esporte.
Beyond the attacking category, the rankings have other notable names. Olise leads the creativity category with 8.23, while Rodri has taken the top spot in defence (7.90). Among goalkeepers, Portugal's Diogo Costa is the highest-rated — despite already being eliminated — with an impressive 8.95 for shot-stopping.
France, who have advanced to the semi-finals, remain one of the favourites for the title. Golmetria's model gives the French a 14% chance of lifting the trophy — and the market sees things in a similar light.
For Brazil, the rankings are just one more bitter reminder. The national team were knocked out before the quarter-finals, and Vini Jr. watches his numbers slip as the tournament continues without him. The question that lingers: in 2026, will the No. 7 make it to the very end — or will he be heading home too soon again?