Welcome to the World Cup quarterfinals
After 96 matches in less than a month of action, we are down to the final eight countries at FIFA World Cup 2026. Among the remaining contenders are some of football’s giants as well as other countries attempting to shock the world as underdogs.
France are the bookmakers’ favourites to lift their third trophy, with previous champions Argentina, Spain and England following closely behind. Morocco, Norway, Belgium and Switzerland dream of lifting the trophy for the first time in their histories.
Here’s a look at each match as we immerse ourselves into the business end of the world’s greatest sporting spectacle.
France vs. Morocco
| France -160 | Draw +280 | Morocco +475 |
Round of 16 results
- France 1-0 Paraguay
- Morocco 3-0 Canada
Our first quarterfinal takes place Thursday at 4:00 p.m. ET with a rematch of the 2022 World Cup semifinal in Qatar.
France
Up to this point, France have flexed their muscle and demonstrated themselves as the clear favourites to win it all on July 19. Five wins out of five, the 2018 champions have outscored opponents 14-2 and secured three clean sheets.
Star striker Kylian Mbappé sits second on tiebreakers in the Golden Boot race with seven goals and elusive winger Ousmane Dembélé has added four of his own to propel “Les Bleus” to the quarterfinals. Attacking midfielder Michael Olise leads the tournament with five assists to round out what has been the fiercest trio so far this World Cup. They have given opponents all sorts of problems all tourney long, and the Moroccan defence will surely have its hands full trying to contain them.
On the other side of the ball, the French defence is playing to a standard worthy of a champion, only conceding two goals through their first five matches. The back line led by William Saliba and Dayot Upamecano, as well as Mike Maignan in goal, have stood firm all tourney and show no signs of letting up heading into the last eight.
France are clearly the team to beat and will be disappointed if they don’t ultimately win the World Cup. They do not show any weaknesses across the park and goals will not come easily against them.
Projected starting XI (4-2-3-1)
- Maignan
- Koundé, Upamecano, Saliba, Digne
- Koné, Rabiot
- Dembélé, Olise, Barcola
- Mbappé
Morocco
Morocco sit on the verge of an unprecedented second successive World Cup semifinal. The Africans will seek revenge for their 2-0 defeat to France in the semifinal four years ago, but have yet to get the better of them in competitive play.
Morocco have asserted themselves as one of the top defensive outfits in the competition, conceding just four goals in their five matches. On offence, Ismael Saibari leads the team with four goals, scoring in each of Morocco’s group matches, but is an injury doubt. He will be dearly missed by the “Atlas Lions” if he cannot go. Capable backup Soufiane Rahimi remains primed to take his place in the starting XI if needed. Winger Brahim Diaz is also a crucial cog in the Moroccan attack, having assisted his teammates four times.
Veteran goalkeeper Yassine Bounou will face a tall task in keeping the French out of his net, but benefits from an elite defensive block in front of him. Morocco require a near perfect performance from the back line and defensive midfielders for any hope of a surprise result against the best team in world football.
In a match of clashing playstyles, the onus lies with Morocco to hang on tight with France for as long as possible. They need to find a way to suppress Mbappé & Co. and simultaneously somehow nab a goal of their own — a task made even more difficult without Saibari.
History suggests this is not impossible; in the last World Cup they overcame two other European superpowers in Spain and Portugal en route to the semifinal in low scoring, defensive affairs. Can they replicate their knockout success this time against the tournament favourites? The betting markets do not back the “Atlas Lions” to do so, as “Les Bleus” are expected to win in regulation and roll onto a third consecutive World Cup semifinal.
Projected starting XI (4-2-3-1)
- Bounou
- Hakimi, Diop, Riad, Mazraoui
- El Aynaoui, Bouaddi
- Díaz, Ounahi, El Khannouss
- Rahimi
Spain vs. Belgium
| Spain -150 | Draw +300 | Belgium +400 |
Round of 16 results
- Spain 1-0 Portugal
- Belgium 4-1 United States
The second quarterfinal goes Friday at 3:00 p.m. and features the first of two all-European clashes.
Spain
The reigning European champions and the popular pick to win it all. “La Furia Roja” are yet to concede a goal so far and are in tremendous form, scoring nine times and winning four matches on the trot. Experienced striker Mikel Oyarzabal leads the Iberians with four goals and has added an assist as well. Barcelona youngster Lamine Yamal has taken the football world by storm over the past few years and poses an everlasting lethal threat on the wing.
Spain are one of the most dominant possession teams in the world and sit second in average possession in the tournament (65.6%), orchestrated by the midfield pair of Rodri and Pedri. The Spaniards have kept a tournament high five clean sheets, thanks in large part to the stellar goalkeeping of Unai Simón and the rigid defending of his back four. This is a side that knows how to win big tournaments and boast loads of experience in knockout situations.
Projected starting XI (4-2-3-1)
- Simón
- Porro, Cubarsí, Laporte, Cucurella
- Rodri, Pedri
- Yamal, Olmo, Baena
- Oyarzabal
Belgium
“The Red Devils” started the World Cup slowly but have found their game at the right time. After drawing their opening matches to Egypt and Iran, they have pulled off three successive victories in emphatic fashion, putting a dozen goals past their opponents in the process.
Belgium will need to carry on their recent high scoring form against a Spain side that is extremely tough to score against. The front three of Leandro Trossard, Charles De Ketelaere, and Jérémy Doku should be up for the challenge and will be raring to get their side going once again.
On the bench they wield an ace up their sleeve in Romelu Lukaku; the Napoli man has scored thrice so far this summer, including one late in the second half as a substitute against the Americans. Notably, veteran midfielder Kevin De Bruyne was an unused sub in the Round of 16 against the United States and, if selected to start, should play a vital role in the offensive buildup. If Belgium cannot get going in the final third, they can take relief in the fact that none other than Thibaut Courtois will tend the twines, revered as one of the premier goalkeepers of the modern game.
Both sides have already secured better finishes than their 2022 campaigns, with Spain out in the Round of 16 and Belgium in the group stage, but will be eager to shoot higher and higher as we draw closer to the final. Spain have played some close, low-scoring matches but seem to do just enough to win more often than not.
If Belgium is to progress they need to score against the well-oiled machine that is the Spanish defense, but that is easier said than done. The European champions are undoubtedly the best defense in the competition and have shown they are well able to handle the pressure of a late stage knockout scenario. With the talent they boast in the starting XI, it’s hard to overlook La Furia Roja and should have enough firepower to get over the line against an up and down Belgium side.
Projected starting XI (4-2-3-1)
- Courtois
- Castagne, Ngoy, Mechele, De Cuyper
- De Bruyne, Raskin
- Doku, Tielemans, Trossard
- De Ketelaere
Norway vs. England
| Norway +280 | Draw +275 | England -109 |
Round of 16 results
- Norway 2-1 Brazil
- England 3-2 Mexico
The second all-European battle of the quarterfinals is Saturday at 5:00 p.m. ET and is a classic on paper.
Norway
This is Norway’s first World Cup since 1998 and they have put out a superb effort so far, qualifying for the last eight for the first time ever. The Norwegians finished second in their group to favourites France and are coming off back-to-back 2-1 wins in the knockouts, defeating Ivory Coast and Brazil. Brazil is a major scalp taken by the Vikings, and next up is another titanic opponent in England.
Norway’s main man is none other than Erling Haaland, who, like Mbappé, has scored seven goals; he seems inevitable to add to his tally every time he takes the pitch. The explosive Manchester City man was born in Leeds, England so this match means a great deal to him and his family. He is truly an unstoppable force; his towering height of 6-foot-5, furious speed on the press, and clinical shooting ability render him perhaps the most difficult assignment for world football defences.
But it’s not just Haaland that makes Norway a massive threat; Arsenal’s Martin Ødegaard has commanded the Norway midfield exceptionally, and veteran goalkeeper Ørjan Nyland has kept his squad alive with some stunning performances, most recently preventing 0.76 goals against the Brazilians. When these three are on their games, Norway is as tough an out as any in the tournament.
Projected starting XI (4-3-3)
- Nyland
- Ryerson, Ajer, Heggem, Møller Wolfe
- Ødegaard, Berge, Berg
- Sørloth, Haaland, Nusa
England
Coming off the back of a gutsy, thrilling win against co-hosts Mexico in arguably the match of the tournament so far, the “Three Lions” arrive in the quarterfinals with all the confidence in the world.
Two quick goals from Jude Bellingham and a second-half penalty converted by Harry Kane were enough to overcome a red card and a hostile, raucous atmosphere in the Azteca versus Mexico to progress. England have battled throughout the tournament and will look to build on a special performance.
Bellingham and Kane have now combined for 10 of England’s 11 goals, but the supporting actors have made this possible. Although they have no goals to their names, wingers Anthony Gordon, who just played the game of his young career, and Bukayo Saka are the unsung heroes in the squad; their world-class dribbling ability down the sidelines open gaps in the opponents’ defence, leaving space in the middle for their main men Bellingham and Kane.
Gordon has also registered three assists to Saka’s two, proving their vital roles in the English attack. This England squad is experienced in big tournaments but are hungry for success on the big stage. They lost to Spain in the 2024 European Championship and were knocked out of the quarterfinals last World Cup by historic rivals France. Time and time again, the “Three Lions” find themselves back in contention at a major tournament and will hope to capitalize on this opportunity to reach the final four.
The key to stopping Norway is keeping Haaland off the scoresheet. No team has succeeded gto do so thus far, (he did not play vs France in the group stage), but England might have what it takes. Haaland is the most dangerous player in football and has firepower unlike any striker in history. Despite that, England showed the world how compact and aggressive in defence they can be, outlasting an all out attack down a man against Mexico for most of the second half. This is a side playing with absolute self-belief at the moment and the England back line will need to work harder than ever to keep their country in the match.
On the other side of the ball, England are also extremely difficult to contain and Norway have conceded nine goals in five matches. The “Three Lions” will look to overwhelm the Norwegian defence in possession and draw them into dangerous situations to open chances for Kane and Bellingham. I see England getting the better of Haaland and Co. in a back-and-forth match with multiple goals.
Projected starting XI (4-2-3-1)
- Pickford
- James, Konsa, Guéhi, O’Reilly
- Anderson, Rice
- Saka, Bellingham, Gordon
- Kane
Argentina vs. Switzerland
| Argentina -137 | Draw +250 | Switzerland +433 |
Round of 16 results
- Argentina 3-2 Egypt
- Switzerland 0-0 Colombia (4-3 on penalties)
The reigning World Cup and Copa América champions headline the fourth quarterfinal, Saturday at 9:00 p.m. ET, against Group B winners Switzerland.
Argentina
Argentina are five wins out of five and have played maybe the most exciting pair of knockout matches of any of our remaining contenders, dispatching of World Cup newcomers Cape Verde and coming back against Egypt. Football GOAT Lionel Messi leads the Golden Boot race on eight goals, scoring in each match and even grabbing a hat trick in Argentina’s opening match. Argentina should consider themselves lucky they have such capable goalgetters outside Messi, such as Lautaro Martínez and Julián Alvarez, but they haven’t needed to do much with the output Messi has generated.
“La Selección” are another high-possession squad sitting at 60.4% with key midfielders Enzo Fernández and Alexis Mac Allister central to the buildup. One area of the pitch they can improve on is the back four, who have shown signs of lapsed concentration and allowed their last three opponents to score. While this has led to creating exciting goal-filled matches for spectators, Argentina will look to shore up any issues on the defensive side as they seek a potential second World Cup title in a row.
Projected starting XI (4-4-2)
- E. Martínez
- Molina, Romero, Li. Martínez, Tagliafico
- De Paul, Mac Allister, Paredes, Fernández
- Messi, La. Martínez
Switzerland
The Swiss progressed via penalty shootout against a stubborn Colombia side. They topped their group, which included Canada, and, thanks to the favourable draw, have played their past three matches in Vancouver.
The story with Switzerland starts on the back line and goalkeeper Gregor Kobel. The Borussia Dortmund man has been Switzerland’s best player all tournament, conceding just three times (one of which was an own goal) and preventing 2.38 more goals in the process. He has been aided by a top drawer defensive setup, with Manuel Akanji and Nico Elvedi leading the back line and captain Granit Xhaka running the show in midfield.
On the top end of the pitch, the Swiss have benefited from decent front-three scoring by Breel Embolo, Johan Manzambi and Rubén Vargas, who’ve combined for seven of the nine Swiss goals so far. Manzambi did not feature in the Round of 16 against Colombia with a knee injury but should not be fit for the quarterfinal. That being said, the Swiss have other viable options to choose from in Dan Ndoye and Fabian Rieder.
Switzerland will need all the firepower they can muster if they have any hope of progressing to the semifinals for the first time ever. Argentina have shown vulnerability at the back so the Swiss should look to exploit this early and often. At the same time, the South Americans have plenty of experience deep in knockout tournaments that has instilled a winning culture in the squad. As well as Switzerland’s defence and goalkeeping have been to now, they likely won’t have the firepower to keep up with their opponents with Messi on the field. Argentina is expected to take the spoils and march onto yet again to the semifinal.
Projected starting XI (4-2-3-1)
- Kobel
- Zakaria, Elvedi, Akanji, Rodriguez
- Xhaka, Freuler
- Rieder, Jashari, Ndoye
- Embolo
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| Feature image courtesy AP Photo/Martin Meissner via Canadian Press Images. Stats courtesy via fotmob.com and sofascore.com. |
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