After ten days of stunning upsets, dramatic comebacks and an exorbitant number of penalty shootouts, the knockout stage of the FIFA World Cup 2026 has reached its quarterfinal phase.
Quick summary – click for full detailsConcise summary of key highlights
FIFA World Cup 2026 | Which World Cup quarterfinal fixture will prove to be most entertaining?
In one lineThe FIFA World Cup 2026 quarterfinals feature eight elite teams with thrilling matchups across Europe, Africa, and South America.Key points• France vs Morocco rematchA repeat of the 2022 semi-final sees France, tournament favourites, face a confident Morocco side seeking revenge after their 2022 defeat.• Spain vs Belgium tactical clashSpain’s possession-based dominance meets Belgium’s resurgent golden generation, led by Lukaku and De Bruyne, in a battle of styles.• Norway’s underdog journeyNorway, powered by Erling Haaland, have defied expectations by eliminating Brazil and Ivory Coast to reach the quarterfinals.• Argentina’s South American hopeLionel Messi’s Argentina aim for back-to-back titles, having survived dramatic comebacks against Cape Verde and Egypt.• Swiss defensive resilienceSwitzerland’s disciplined defence and goalkeeper Gregor Kobel have been key to their progress, including a penalty shootout win over Colombia.Key statistics4 goalsFrance’s knockout stage goals2 goals in 3 minutes (86th and 89th minute)Belgium’s late goals against Senegal3 goals in 13 minutesArgentina’s comeback against EgyptProcessed with AI. Reviewed by DH Digital Team.
The eight nations of France, Morocco, Norway, England, Spain, Belgium, Argentina and Switzerland remain in contention for the prestigious trophy and a memory that will be etched in their nation’s history.
Each fixture offers its own, compelling details to follow along during the match. Heavyweight European clashes, underdog stories and intercontinental battles are all set to play a part in the greatest matches fans have been waiting to watch since the beginning of the World Cup.
France vs Morocco
The quarterfinals open with a rematch of the one of the 2022 World Cup’s semifinals – France against Morocco. While the French took the victory 2-0 four years ago, Morocco seem more ready, dangerous and confident this time around. The clear favourites however remain the Europeans, showing off depth in their squad of world-class players like never seen before.
France have not conceded a goal in the knockout stages so far and have scored four across the two games against Sweden and Paraguay. Kylian Mbappe leading the attack with Ousmane Dembele, Michael Olise and Desire Doue will have the pace and creativity to get the ball into the back of the net as many times as possible.
Morocco has earned a reputation for eliminating big names, and they did not stop this time around either. Eliminating the Netherlands on penalties and co-hosts Canada by three goals, the Atlas Lions have shown discipline across the pitch.
Spain vs Belgium
If tactical battles had to be played anywhere, this all-European matchup between the Spanish and the Belgians would no doubt steal the spotlight.
Spain have been called the title-favourites and for good reason. Dominating possession and passes throughout the match has allowed them to tire their opponents out, and score sudden, unexpected goals at just the right moments. Their defence has been the best of the rest, conceding zero goals throughout the World Cup so far. Lamine Yamal, Rodri, Ferran Torres, Marc Cucurella and more seem more than ready after eliminating Austria and Portugal in the knockouts.
Belgium, on the other hand, have appeared to rediscover their attacking identity. Overturning a two-goal deficit against Senegal in the round-of-32 by scoring two late goals within a matter of three minutes (86th and 89th minute), and finishing it off by scoring a 120th minute penalty, the golden generation seemed to have finally come alive. They came across the United States in the round-of-16 and beat them 4-1 amid red card controversy for US striker Folarin Balogun.
With Romelu Lukaku leading the attack, Kevin de Bruyne in the midfield and Thibaut Courtois between the posts, the Red Devils are a force to be reckoned with.
Norway vs England
The underdog story meets the team who are always so close, but never quite there.
Norway has defied expectations in their World Cup journey so far, winning twice in their group and beating both powerhouses such as Ivory Coast and five-time world champions Brazil 2-1. Their run, powered by striker Erling Haaland, has increasingly become more and more confident as they reached the quarterfinals for the first time in their nation’s footballing history.
England are as star-studded as ever with names like Harry Kane, Jude Bellingham, Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka stepping up to the pitch. They survived a scare by DR Congo by beating them 2-1 in a comeback win fueled by Kane’s brace and narrowly escaped co-hosts Mexico’s party 3-2 in the round-of-16. If anything, England have repeatedly shown their ability to recover from difficult situations.
The clash between two attacking sides will be worth the watch as this second all-European matchup seems to be the talk of the show.
ARGENTINA VS SWITZERLAND
On paper, this match-up seems the least glamorous, but recent performances from both sides definitely suggest otherwise.
This Argentina side is the only South American team left in the competition, looking to achieve the glory of going back-to-back at the FIFA World Cup. Led by current golden boot leader Lionel Messi, they faced two African teams to reach the quarterfinals, and the results were nothing short of surprising.
They beat debutants Cape Verde 3-2 in a close and almost equal match while producing another comeback win of this World Cup against Egypt in the round-of-16. After being down two goals with 11 minutes left, Argentina scored three goals in 13 minutes to seal the victory.
Switzerland, meanwhile, are arriving full of confidence after eliminating African contenders Algeria 2-0 and a South American side in Colombia after a tense penalty shootout. Their goalkeeper Gregor Kobel has emerged as one of the many star goalkeepers of the tournament, while defensive discipline has played a crucial role in the Swiss structure.
Among all these must-watch fixtures, the biggest spotlight still falls on Norway versus England. It stands out as the most likely to deliver unmissable moments, a clash between world-class stars and elite goalscoring. Whoever triumphs would be a story to watch unfold. Despite this, all these teams have proven worthy of earning a place in the quarterfinals, and writing off any of the other fixtures would be a mistake.
FIFA World Cup 2026 – Quarterfinals Fixtures (All times IST)
France vs Morocco: Friday, July 10 at 1.30 am IST
Spain vs Belgium: Saturday, July 11 at 12.30 am IST
Norway vs England: Sunday, July 12 at 2.30 am IST
Argentina vs Switzerland: Sunday, July 12 at 6.30 am IST