Eight teams remain. Four matches. The World Cup is entering its best week.
The quarterfinals of the 2026 FIFA World Cup run from July 9 through July 11, and every matchup has a legitimate case for drama. There is a defensive record on the line, a rematch with 2022 semifinal echoes, a Golden Boot race featuring one of the most lethal strikers on the planet, and Lionel Messi chasing his second consecutive World Cup title after one of the great comeback wins in tournament history.
Here is what you need to know before the quarterfinals kick off.
Quarterfinals Schedule
| Matchup | Date | Time (ET) | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| France vs Morocco | Thursday, July 9 | 4:00 PM | Boston/Foxborough |
| Spain vs Belgium | Friday, July 10 | 3:00 PM | Los Angeles |
| Norway vs England | Saturday, July 11 | 5:00 PM | Miami |
| Argentina vs Switzerland | Saturday, July 11 | 9:00 PM | Kansas City |
Semifinal path: The France-Morocco winner faces the Spain-Belgium winner. The Norway-England winner faces the Argentina-Switzerland winner.
France vs Morocco - July 9, 4 PM ET
This one carries history.
In 2022, Morocco stunned the world by reaching the World Cup semifinal, the first African nation ever to do so. They ran into France in that semifinal and lost 2-0. Now they are back, and France is standing in the way again.
France have looked like one of the most complete teams in this tournament. Kylian Mbappe, Ousmane Dembele, and Michael Olise have been relentless going forward, and the numbers back it up: five matches, 14 goals scored, just two conceded. They did have to grind through a narrow 1-0 win over Paraguay in the Round of 16, but that is part of what makes them dangerous. They can overwhelm teams, and they can survive difficult games.
Morocco, meanwhile, have shown exactly the grit and defensive organization that made them impossible to dismiss in 2022. After drawing with Brazil and picking up wins over Scotland and Haiti in the group stage, they advanced with a 3-0 Round of 16 win over Canada. Mohamed Ouahbi's side is not here to be a feel-good story. They are here to compete.
The rematch angle is real, but France is a different level right now. If Mbappe is on his game, this is a very difficult night for Morocco.
Edge: France
Spain vs Belgium - July 10, 3 PM ET
This is the most fascinating tactical matchup of the round.
Spain have been historically dominant in this tournament. Five games. Five clean sheets. Nine goals scored, zero conceded. That defensive record is one of the defining runs of the World Cup so far, and it is not just the back four doing the work. Spain's press and midfield structure have suffocated every opponent they have faced.
Belgium earned their spot here the hard way. After an uneven group stage that included draws with Egypt and Iran, they came alive with a 5-1 win over New Zealand, a 3-2 extra-time victory over Senegal, and then the 4-1 dismantling of the USMNT in the Round of 16. Belgium is peaking at the right time. Charles De Ketelaere has been one of the breakthrough players of the tournament, and Kevin De Bruyne remains the creative threat every opponent has to account for.
But Spain's defensive record is the elephant in the room. Can Belgium, which has been the most explosive attacking team in the knockout rounds, crack an organization that no one has scored against? Belgium's movement against Spain's midfield shape may be the tactical battle of the quarterfinals.
Edge: Spain, but Belgium is dangerous enough to flip this
Norway vs England - July 11, 5 PM ET
Erling Haaland eliminated Brazil. Let that breathe for a second.
Norway beat Brazil 2-1 in the Round of 16, with Haaland scoring a brace to send one of the sport's giants home and put Norway in a World Cup quarterfinal for the first time in their history. Haaland now has seven goals in this tournament and is running away with the Golden Boot. He is the most dangerous player at this World Cup, and England knows it.
England are a talented, experienced side that has been here before, deep in major tournaments and carrying the weight of 60 years since their only title. They survived Mexico to get here, winning 3-2 in a match that had plenty of late tension. They have quality across the roster and enough tournament experience to handle the pressure of a quarterfinal.
But this game lives or dies on one question: can England contain Haaland? Every team that has tried to solve that problem in this tournament has gone home. He is in the form of his life on the world's biggest stage.
Edge: England, but Haaland makes this a coin flip
Argentina vs Switzerland - July 11, 9 PM ET
Lionel Messi is still here, and he is not done.
Argentina trailed Egypt 2-0 with just over 10 minutes left in their Round of 16 match. They scored three goals in the final stretch to win 3-2 in one of the most remarkable comebacks in World Cup knockout history. Messi was at the center of it. Defending champions do not always win back-to-back World Cups, but this Argentina team, with Messi and the belief that comes from having done it before, has already shown it knows how to survive when everything is going wrong.
Switzerland, meanwhile, are making their first World Cup quarterfinal since 1954, a 72-year wait for this moment. They eliminated Colombia in the Round of 16 on penalties after a 0-0 draw and have been organized, disciplined, and hard to break down throughout the tournament. They will not roll over for Argentina.
But Messi is Messi, and Argentina is Argentina. The magic is still there.
Edge: Argentina
The Bigger Picture
Four matches, and every one of them has a legitimate case for an upset. France's dominance is real, but Morocco is not afraid of them. Spain's defensive record is historic, but Belgium is exploding offensively at exactly the right moment. Haaland is terrifying, but England has the quality to find a way. Argentina has Messi, but Switzerland has earned this stage.
The World Cup just got very interesting.
Make your World Cup quarterfinal picks at Crystal Ball Picks.
