The FIFA World Cup 2026 has entered its decisive phase, where after the journey of 48 teams, only 8 strong teams are left in the race for the title.
At the end of the thrilling matches of the Round of 16, France, Morocco, Spain, Belgium, Norway, England, Argentina and Switzerland have made it to the quarter-finals.
Now each team is only 3 victories away from becoming world champions, while the quarter-final matches to be held in the next few days will determine which 4 teams will reach the semi-finals.
The teams that reached the quarter-finals include defending champions Argentina, European powers France and Spain, strong Belgian team, Norway, England, Switzerland and African representative Morocco.
Morocco reached the World Cup quarter-finals for the second consecutive time by defeating Canada 0-3. France defeated Paraguay 0-1 while Kylian Mbappe further strengthened his position in the race for the Golden Boot.
Norway caused a major upset by defeating Brazil 1-2 where Erling Haaland scored twice. England beat Mexico 2-3 in a thrilling encounter. Spain maintained their technical advantage by beating Portugal 0-1.
Belgium made it to the last 8 in impressive fashion by defeating the United States 1-4. Argentina came back from a 2-goal deficit against Egypt to win 2-3. Switzerland beat Colombia in a penalty shootout to reach the quarter-finals.
Quarter-final full schedule (Pakistan time)
France vs Morocco
Date: July 10 (Friday)
Time: 1:00 PM
Venue: Boston Stadium, Massachusetts
The match will be reminiscent of the 2022 FIFA World Cup semi-final where Morocco made history. This time too, an exciting clash between Achraf Hakimi and Kylian Mbappe is expected.
Spain vs Belgium
Date: July 11 (Saturday)
Time: 12:00 PM
Venue: Los Angeles Stadium, California
A fascinating match is expected between Spain’s short passing-based football and Belgium’s fast counterattacks.
Norway vs England
Date: July 12 (Sunday)
Time: 2:00 PM
Venue: Miami Stadium, Florida
Erling Haaland, who scored twice against Brazil, will be the biggest test for England’s defense, while Harry Kane will be the centre of his team’s hopes.
Argentina vs Switzerland
Date: July 12 (Sunday)
Time: 6:00 AM
Venue: Kansas City Stadium, Missouri
In what could be Lionel Messi’s last World Cup, defending champions Argentina will face a strong defensive team Switzerland, who defeated Colombia in a penalty shootout to reach the quarterfinals.
Semi-finals
The winner of France/Morocco will face the winner of Spain/Belgium.
The winner of Norway/England will play the winner of Argentina/Switzerland in the semi-finals.
The semi-finals will be held on July 14 and 15, while the final of the FIFA World Cup 2026 will be played on July 19 at the New York, New Jersey Stadium.
The main stars of the quarter-finals
In this stage, the eyes of the world will be on several big players, including Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe, Erling Haaland, Harry Kane, Ashraf Hakimi, Charles de Ketelier, Lamine Yamal and Granit Xhaka.
All eyes will be on Lionel Messi’s performance in particular as this is considered to be the last World Cup of his career, while Mbappe and Haaland are also prominent candidates in the race for the Golden Boot.
Read also: FIFA World Cup, Argentina beat Cape Verde to reach pre-quarter final
