The race for the 2026 FIFA World Cup title enters a decisive phase on Thursday as the quarter finals begin with a heavyweight clash between France and Morocco, a fixture that revives memories of their meeting at the 2022 tournament in Qatar.
With just eight teams left standing after weeks of action across the United States, Canada and Mexico, the competition has now reached the point where every match carries the weight of history, ambition and survival. What began as the biggest and most ambitious World Cup ever staged has now narrowed into a final sprint for the trophy.
France head into the quarter finals looking every bit like genuine title contenders. The two time world champions have been one of the standout teams of the tournament so far, combining attacking sharpness with authority and confidence. They have scored 14 goals in five matches, with captain Kylian Mbappe leading the charge after netting seven times.
Mbappe remains firmly in the race for the Golden Boot, but the battle for the tournament’s top scorer award is far from settled. Lionel Messi currently leads the chart with eight goals for Argentina, while Norway striker Erling Haaland has matched Mbappe on seven. England captain Harry Kane is also close behind with six.
France’s next challenge comes in the form of Morocco, who have grown into one of the most dangerous teams left in the competition. The African champions will face Les Bleus at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, just outside Boston, in what promises to be one of the most compelling quarter final ties of the tournament.
The Moroccans have impressed throughout the competition. After coming through the group stage strongly, they pushed past the Netherlands in the round of 32 before brushing aside Canada in the round of 16. Under coach Mohamed Ouahbi, Morocco have shown a balanced mix of technical quality, tactical discipline and physical strength, qualities that could make them France’s toughest test yet.
The winner of that contest will move into the semi finals to face either Spain or Belgium, who meet on Friday in Los Angeles.
Spain booked their place in the last eight with a narrow but controlled 1-0 win over Portugal in the round of 16, ending Cristiano Ronaldo’s latest World Cup campaign. While the Spaniards have not been as explosive in attack as France, they remain one of the most composed and technically sound sides in the tournament.
Belgium, meanwhile, have taken a very different route to the quarter finals. Their campaign began shakily, with underwhelming draws in their opening two group games, but they recovered in style by thrashing New Zealand 5-1 to seal qualification for the knockout stage.
They then produced one of the most dramatic comebacks of the tournament in the round of 32, overturning a 2-0 deficit against Senegal in the closing minutes to win 3-2. That was followed by a commanding 4-1 victory over the United States in Seattle, arguably their best performance of the competition so far.
On the other side of the bracket, defending champions Argentina are still alive, but not without several scares along the way. Lionel Messi’s side will face Switzerland in Kansas City on Saturday as they continue their push to become the first team since Brazil in 1962 to retain the World Cup title.
Argentina’s path to the quarter finals has been anything but comfortable. They needed extra time to edge past Cape Verde 3-2 in the round of 32, and on Tuesday they staged a remarkable comeback against Egypt in Atlanta, recovering from two goals down with just 11 minutes left in normal time before sealing a dramatic 3-2 victory.
Messi, who inspired the turnaround, was visibly emotional after the final whistle. Reflecting on the comeback, the Argentina captain said the team were determined not to let their World Cup journey end there.
Awaiting the winner of Argentina and Switzerland will be either Norway or England in the semi finals next week in Atlanta.
England reached the last eight after edging Mexico 3-2 in a gripping contest at the Azteca Stadium on Sunday, a result that has reignited belief within the squad that a first major title since 1966 may finally be within reach.
Midfield star Jude Bellingham said the dramatic win strengthened his belief in England’s chances of going all the way and expressed hope that the performance would give the rest of the team the same confidence.
Standing in England’s way is a dangerous Norway side led by Erling Haaland, whose two goals against Brazil in the round of 16 secured a statement win and underlined his importance to the Scandinavian side.
Norway coach Stale Solbakken admitted England would present a stern challenge, but said his side would prepare carefully and expects a tightly contested encounter as both teams chase a place in the semi finals.
