The World Cup 2026 quarterfinal matchups are officially set after a Round of 16 that delivered some of the biggest twists of the tournament so far. Forty-eight teams have been whittled down to eight, and from here, every remaining side is just three wins away from lifting the trophy on July 19. Below is the complete rundown of how each team got here, plus the full quarterfinal schedule.
The knockout round produced no shortage of drama. Norway ended Brazil’s title defense behind a brace from Erling Haaland, eliminating the five-time champions in one of the tournament’s biggest upsets. Morocco knocked out co-host Canada 3-0 to continue its run as the first African nation to reach back-to-back World Cup quarterfinals. England needed a 3-2 comeback win over host nation Mexico, powered by a Jude Bellingham goal, to survive. And Argentina produced the round’s signature moment, storming back from 2-0 down in the final ten minutes to beat Egypt 3-2 on a Lionel Messi equalizer and a stoppage-time Enzo Fernandez winner.
On the other side of the draw, results were more straightforward. France eased past Paraguay 1-0 on a Kylian Mbappé penalty, Spain edged Portugal 1-0 to end Cristiano Ronaldo’s final World Cup, Belgium routed the United States 4-1, and Switzerland outlasted Colombia in a penalty shootout to reach the quarterfinals for the first time since 1954.
With every Round of 16 tie decided, here are the four confirmed World Cup 2026 quarterfinal matchups, running from July 9 through July 11:
France vs. Morocco kicks off the round, pitting Mbappé’s France against a Morocco side still riding the momentum of its historic Canada win. It’s a rematch of sorts of Morocco’s memorable 2022 semifinal run, and a win would send the Atlas Lions to the semifinals in consecutive tournaments.
Spain vs. Belgium features two of the tournament’s most clinical teams so far. Spain has yet to concede more than one goal in a match, while Belgium’s 4-1 demolition of the USA signaled a team peaking at the right time.
Norway vs. England brings together the team that eliminated Brazil and an England side that has needed extra time and late goals to survive its last two matches. Haaland enters as the tournament’s joint-top scorer, level with Messi and Mbappé.
Argentina vs. Switzerland closes out the round, with Messi’s Argentina looking to defend their 2022 title against a Swiss side that has now outlasted three straight Round of 16 appearances without reaching the last eight — until now.
The winners of these four World Cup 2026 quarterfinal matchups will advance to the semifinals, with the final set for Sunday, July 19 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Notably, there are no matches scheduled for Wednesday, July 8, giving fans a one-day pause before the quarterfinal round begins. For live scores and match centre stats as each game kicks off, FIFA’s official match centre will track goals and lineups in real time, while ESPN’s full tournament bracket shows the complete path every team has taken to reach this stage.
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