World Cup 2026 Quarterfinals Preview: How France, Spain, Argentina and the Final Eight Got Here

The World Cup field is down to eight, and the bracket looks nothing like anyone drew up back in June. All three host nations — the United States, Canada and Mexico — are out, eliminated in the Round of 16, which means every remaining match through the July 19 final at MetLife Stadium will be played in front of American crowds rooting for someone else’s flag. Six of the eight quarterfinalists are European. Morocco stands alone for Africa. Argentina stands alone for South America. And somehow, after three brutal knockout rounds, the tournament’s four biggest stars — Kylian Mbappe, Lionel Messi, Erling Haaland and Harry Kane — are all still alive, having combined for 28 goals between them. Here’s how each of the final eight got here, and where things stand heading into the weekend.

France vs. Morocco: A Rematch of the 2022 Semifinal

Thursday’s opener at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough carries some history — France beat Morocco 2-0 in the semifinals of the 2022 World Cup, and the Atlas Lions will be looking for a different result this time. France has been the most dominant team left in the field, full stop. Les Bleus rolled past Sweden 3-0 in the Round of 32, then ground out a 1-0 win over Paraguay in the Round of 16 on a Mbappe penalty, despite Paraguay leaning heavily on physical, gamesmanship-heavy tactics to try to throw him off his rhythm. It didn’t work. France is 5-0-0 and still hasn’t conceded a single goal at this World Cup, with five straight clean sheets to show for it. Mbappe has 7 goals in the tournament, and the midfield trio of Ousmane Dembele, Michael Olise and Mbappe himself has been close to unplayable.

Morocco’s path has been far more dramatic. The Atlas Lions drew the Netherlands 1-1 in the Round of 32 before escaping on penalties, 4-3, then found themselves in trouble again against Canada in the Round of 16, falling behind before erupting for three second-half goals to win 3-0 — Azzedine Ounahi scored twice, and playmaker Brahim Diaz combined with right back Achraf Hakimi for three total assists on the day. The concern heading into Foxborough is Ismael Saibari, Morocco’s most dangerous attacker, who left the Canada match early with a hamstring injury. Saibari has been a revelation, becoming only the second African player ever to score three goals in a single World Cup match — joining Senegal’s Papa Bouba Diop from 2002 — and he also buried the decisive penalty in the shootout win over the Netherlands. His availability for France is uncertain. Hakimi, meanwhile, picked up a yellow card against Canada, adding a small discipline wrinkle of his own.

Spain vs. Belgium: A Reigning Champion Meets a Veteran Core

Friday’s quarterfinal at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles pits the reigning European champions against a Belgian side built around some familiar, aging names still getting the job done. Spain beat Austria 3-0 in the Round of 32 and then needed a moment of magic to get past Portugal in the Round of 16, with substitute Mikel Merino scoring in stoppage time off a Ferran Torres assist to win it 1-0. Spain hasn’t lost a match since being eliminated by Morocco on penalties at the 2022 World Cup — a run now at 35 games unbeaten — and like France, they haven’t conceded a single goal through five matches. Teenage sensation Lamine Yamal is still working his way back to full match fitness after a hamstring issue, and how much he has left in the tank could matter plenty against Belgium’s midfield. Bettors sizing up the matchup with a DraftKings promo code will find a Spain side that has barely been tested defensively all tournament.

Belgium’s route has been anything but smooth. They trailed Senegal 2-0 in the Round of 32 before storming back to win 3-2 in extra time, then blew the doors off the United States in the Round of 16, winning 4-1 behind a Charles De Ketelaere brace, a Romelu Lukaku goal off the bench, and a Hans Vanaken finish assisted by De Ketelaere. This Belgium team leans heavily on experience — goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois is 34, Lukaku is 33 and still producing in a reserve role, and Kevin De Bruyne, 35, was rested and didn’t feature at all against the Americans. Winger Leandro Trossard, 31, rounds out the veteran core, though midfielder Amadou Onana is out for the tournament with an ACL injury.

Norway vs. England: A Cinderella Run Meets a Serial Contender

Saturday’s early quarterfinal at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens features the tournament’s best surprise story against one of its most consistent ones. Norway beat Ivory Coast 2-1 in the Round of 32, then stunned five-time champions Brazil 2-1 in the Round of 16 on a late Erling Haaland brace. It’s Norway’s first World Cup appearance since 1998 and the country’s first-ever trip to a quarterfinal — a genuinely historic run built around Haaland’s finishing and goalkeeper Orjan Nyland, who came up with a string of key saves to preserve the result against Brazil.

England, by contrast, is exactly where recent tournaments suggest it should be — in the quarterfinals for a third straight World Cup. The Three Lions beat DR Congo 2-1 in the Round of 32, then survived an emotional, back-and-forth 3-2 win over host Mexico at Estadio Azteca in the Round of 16. Jude Bellingham scored twice in a span of just 98 seconds, and Harry Kane also got on the board after drawing defenders away to help create space for Bellingham’s goals. Bukayo Saka set up Kane’s goal with the cross that won the penalty Kane converted, though Saka himself is still managing an Achilles issue that has limited his minutes even as he’s remained productive whenever he’s on the field. Fans lining up a FanDuel promo code before kickoff will be watching closely to see how much England manages Saka’s workload against a Norway side with nothing to lose.

Argentina vs. Switzerland: Messi’s Golden Boot Chase Continues

The Saturday nightcap at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City brings together the defending champions and a Swiss side making history of its own. Argentina needed extra time to beat Cape Verde 3-2 in the Round of 32, then trailed Egypt 2-0 in the Round of 16 before Lionel Messi scored twice to spark a 3-2 comeback win. Messi leads the tournament’s Golden Boot race with 8 goals and is the only player to have scored in all five of Argentina’s matches so far. The catch is that nearly every one of those matches has been a dogfight, and there are real questions about whether this squad is running on fumes after so many draining, closely contested results.

Switzerland’s road has been quieter but no less notable. They beat Algeria 2-0 in the Round of 32, then went the distance against Colombia in the Round of 16 — 0-0 through 120 scoreless minutes before winning the shootout 4-3. It’s Switzerland’s first World Cup quarterfinal appearance since they hosted the tournament back in 1954. The bad news is that breakout star Johan Manzambi, one of the most talked-about young players of the tournament, suffered a knee injury in training before the Colombia match, and his absence was felt in a Swiss attack that had leaned on him heavily. Anyone checking a BetMGM promo code ahead of this one will see two teams that have won ugly and know it.

Setting the Stage for MetLife Stadium

Four matches, four very different stories, and one shared destination: the semifinals land on July 14 and 15, with the final set for Sunday, July 19 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Whichever four teams emerge from this weekend will do so having survived a knockout gauntlet that has already claimed the hosts, a five-time champion in Brazil, and plenty of upset bids along the way. With Mbappe, Messi, Haaland and Kane all still standing, sportsbooks are bracing for another wave of action — those weighing a Caesars promo code or a Fanatics promo code before the weekend slate have four genuinely compelling matchups to choose from. No forecasts here — just eight teams, four games, and a whole lot on the line.