Then there were eight. After 96 matches, 27 days of Soccer, and enough drama to fill a series, the FIFA World Cup 2026 has delivered its quarterfinal lineup — and it is absolutely loaded. The FIFA World Cup 2026 quarterfinal kicks off on Thursday, July 9, 2026, featuring eight remaining nations competing across venues in the United States.
The eight teams left standing are France, Morocco, Spain, Belgium, Norway, England, Argentina, and Switzerland. Traditional powerhouses. A two-time defending semifinalist from Africa. A 25-year-old striker making history. A defending champion refusing to go home. And one nation appearing in the World Cup quarterfinals for the first time in 72 years.
This edition also marks the first time without Brazil or Germany in a tournament that featured a quarterfinal round — a jaw-dropping fact that tells you everything about how unpredictable and thrilling this expanded 48-team World Cup has been.
Here’s a complete preview of every FIFA World Cup 2026 Quarterfinal matchup — the teams competing, how they arrived, key players to watch, and our predictions for who advances.
FIFA World Cup 2026 Quarterfinal Schedule
| Match | Teams | Date | Venue | Kickoff (ET) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| QF 1 | 🇫🇷 France vs Morocco 🇲🇦 | Thu, July 9 | Gillette Stadium, Boston | 4:00 PM ET |
| QF 2 | 🇪🇸 Spain vs Belgium 🇧🇪 | Fri, July 10 | SoFi Stadium, Los Angeles | 3:00 PM ET |
| QF 3 | 🇳🇴 Norway vs England 🏴 | Sat, July 11 | Hard Rock Stadium, Miami | 5:00 PM ET |
| QF 4 | 🇦🇷 Argentina vs Switzerland 🇨🇭 | Sat, July 11 | Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City | 9:00 PM ET |
All matches live on FOX and FS1 in the US. Stream on FOX One and the FOX Sports app.
QF 1: France 🇫🇷 vs Morocco 🇲🇦
Thursday, July 9 | Gillette Stadium, Boston | 4:00 PM ET
The Storyline
This highly anticipated rematch follows their semifinal clash in Qatar in 2022, where Morocco’s remarkable journey ended against the defending champions. Four years later, both teams find themselves at the same stage once again, and Morocco is determined to achieve a different outcome this time.
How France Got Here
France have been the tournament’s most dominant side by a clear margin. France is the only team to win all five of their matches without needing extra time.
They beat Senegal, Iraq, and Norway in the group stage — including a stunning 4-1 win over Norway that featured an Ousmane Dembélé hat-trick. In the knockout rounds, they dispatched Sweden in the Round of 32 before a clinical 1-0 win over Paraguay in the Round of 16, with Kylian Mbappé scoring the decisive goal.
How Morocco Got Here
Morocco defeated Canada 3-0 in the Round of 16, and it’s now the first African team to reach back-to-back World Cup quarterfinals.
Their campaign has been built on defensive resilience and lethal counter-attacking — exactly the formula that caused problems for every team they faced in Qatar.
Key Players
The quartet of Kylian Mbappé, Michael Olise, Ousmane Dembélé, and either Désiré Doué or Bradley Barcola are undoubtedly the best attacking group in the world. Morocco’s hopes will lie squarely on their defence and goalkeeper Yassine Bounou standing strong while their forwards take advantage of any opportunities they can create on the break.
Prediction
France win. Their attacking firepower is on another level, and a team that hasn’t needed extra time in five matches has the depth to handle Morocco’s defensive structure. But expect Morocco to make this uncomfortable.
QF 2: Spain 🇪🇸 vs Belgium 🇧🇪
Friday, July 10 | SoFi Stadium, Los Angeles | 3:00 PM ET
The Storyline
The European champions against a Belgium side that just humiliated the United States. Spain’s unbeaten perfection against Belgium’s Red Devils arriving on the back of their biggest result of the tournament. Something has to give.
How Spain Got Here
Spain have been quietly, ruthlessly perfect. Spain have yet to concede at this tournament and have six straight World Cup clean sheets overall — the longest run in World Cup history. They dispatched Portugal in the Round of 16 courtesy of a stoppage-time winner from Mikel Merino, and before that swept through their group — beating Saudi Arabia 4-0 and Uruguay 1-0.
How Belgium Got Here
Belgium ended the United States’ run with a 4-1 win in Seattle in the Round of 16, a result that drew the most-watched soccer telecast in American history — 30 million viewers tuned in, peaking at just shy of 37 million people. Charles De Ketelaere was the standout, scoring twice. Belgium progressed from a group featuring Egypt, Iran, and New Zealand before reaching this stage.
Key Players
For Spain, the names to watch include Lamine Yamal and Mikel Merino. Spain needed a late goal to beat Portugal, but its control and technical quality still make it one of the most dangerous teams left. For Belgium, Charles De Ketelaere is coming off a two-goal performance against the U.S. and poses a major attacking threat heading into the match against Spain.
Prediction
Spain advance, but it won’t be as clean as their stats suggest. Belgium can threaten through De Ketelaere and a revitalized Kevin De Bruyne, but Spain’s defensive record and tournament experience are too formidable. Expect a 1-0 or 2-0 Spain win.
QF 3: Norway 🇳🇴 vs England 🏴
Saturday, July 11 | Hard Rock Stadium, Miami | 5:00 PM ET
The Storyline
The Golden Boot race headliner. Erling Haaland vs. Harry Kane — two of world Soccer’s most lethal strikers, born one week apart in late July, both three-time Premier League Golden Boot winners, going head to head for a World Cup semifinal berth. It doesn’t get better than this.
How Norway Got Here
Norway’s World Cup debut in the 21st century has been nothing short of sensational. Erling Haaland scored both goals in Norway’s 2-1 upset victory over Brazil, which also put him in a tie for first place in the Golden Boot race. Haaland now has 62 goals in 54 caps, with 27 goals across 14 consecutive Norway appearances in which he has scored. The 25-year-old striker is the story of this tournament.
How England Got Here
England has moved on to the quarterfinals for the third straight World Cup. It took down Mexico on Sunday, winning 3-2 at Mexico City Stadium as it played the majority of the second half with just 10 men. Harry Kane netted a decisive penalty in that dramatic comeback win — and Kane scored twice in the opening group game against Croatia and has been relentless throughout the tournament, now sitting just one behind Haaland in the Golden Boot race.
Key Players
England has not always looked comfortable, but it is still alive and now gets a quarterfinal against a Norway team riding one of the biggest wins of the tournament. Jude Bellingham’s creativity in midfield will be the key to unlocking a disciplined Norway defensive shape that has proven capable of handling elite opposition.
Prediction
The most unpredictable matchup of the four. Haaland vs Kane in Miami for a World Cup semi-final spot — genuinely could go either way. England’s tournament experience and squad depth gives them a narrow edge. But if Haaland gets two chances, he’s scoring both of them.
QF 4: Argentina 🇦🇷 vs Switzerland 🇨🇭
Saturday, July 11 | Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City | 9:00 PM ET
The Storyline
Lionel Messi’s final World Cup run continues — and it’s been as dramatic as you’d expect. The defending champions against Switzerland, who are appearing in the World Cup quarterfinals for the first time in 72 years, having last reached this stage in 1954.
How Argentina Got Here
Argentina’s journey to the quarterfinals has featured more plot twists than any other team in the tournament. The team, led by Lionel Messi, managed to overcome dramatic finishes against Cape Verde and Egypt, successfully reaching the quarterfinals for the fifth time in the last seven tournaments.
The match against Egypt was particularly remarkable, as Argentina came back from a 2-0 deficit, scoring three goals in the final 20 minutes to achieve one of the greatest comebacks in World Cup history. A VAR incident that disallowed a goal for Egypt remains a deeply controversial topic.
How Switzerland Got Here
Switzerland advanced after prevailing in a penalty shootout against Colombia on Tuesday. It marks the first time Switzerland has reached the quarterfinals since 1954. For Switzerland, the challenge is clear: slow down Argentina, stay organized, and try to push another favourite into uncomfortable territory. Granit Xhaka has been a commanding presence in midfield.
Key Players
Messi at 38. Still dragging Argentina through moments that defy sporting logic. Whatever happens in Kansas City, this may be the last World Cup match of the greatest player in history. That alone makes it unmissable.
He is the top goal scorer of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
FIFA World Cup 2026 Quarterfinal Prediction
Argentina advance, though don’t expect comfort. Switzerland know how to defend and how to make teams uncomfortable — but Messi-inspired Argentina, riding the momentum of two dramatic escapes, has a momentum that is genuinely difficult to stop.
The Big Picture: What Happens After the Quarters?
The semifinals are scheduled for Tuesday, July 14 (AT&T Stadium, Dallas) and Wednesday, July 15 (Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta), at 3:00 PM ET each day.
The final takes place on Sunday, July 19 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey — kickoff 3:00 PM ET.
Our Predicted Semifinal Pairings:
- SF1: France vs Spain (Dallas)
- SF2: England vs Argentina (Atlanta)
Our Predicted Final:
France vs Argentina — MetLife Stadium, New Jersey, July 19.
How to Watch the Quarterfinals (USA, UK & Australia)
You can watch the 2026 FIFA World Cup Quarterfinals live across the USA, UK, and Australia from July 9 to July 11, 2026, through a mix of free-to-air networks and premium streaming platforms.
- 🇺🇸 USA: FOX and FS1 (stream on FOX One / FOX Sports app). Spanish-language on Telemundo / Peacock. Cord-cutters: Fubo, Hulu + Live TV, YouTube TV, DirecTV.
- 🇬🇧 UK: ITV and BBC (alternating) — all kick-offs listed in BST.
- 🇦🇺 Australia: SBS On Demand and Optus Sport carry all World Cup matches live.
- 🇨🇦 Canada: TSN and CTV for English coverage; TVA Sports in French.
| Country | Live TV Channels | Live Streaming Platforms | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🇺🇸 United States | FOX, FS1, Telemundo, Universo | FOX One, Peacock, Fubo, DirecTV | Paid (Free trials available on Fubo/DirecTV) |
| 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | BBC, ITV | BBC iPlayer, ITVX | Free (Requires TV Licence) |
| 🇦🇺 Australia | SBS, SBS Viceland | SBS On Demand | Free |
Final Thought
No Brazil. No Germany. No host nations. Just eight teams who’ve earned their spot the hard way, across 96 matches and a month of Soccer that has already delivered some of the greatest moments in World Cup history.
Haaland vs Kane in Miami. Messi defying time in Kansas City. Spain’s clean-sheet machine taking on Belgium’s counter-attacking threat. France and Morocco writing the next chapter of their rivalry in Boston.