World Cup 2026 Quarter-Final Predictions: Who Reaches the Last Four?
FIFA World Cup 2026 quarter-final predictions: France vs Morocco, Spain vs Belgium, Norway vs England, Argentina vs Switzerland previewed in depth.
FOOTBALLFIFA WORLD CUP 2026PREDICTIONS
Off Side Social
7/9/20261 min read
Eight Teams, One Trophy, Four Nights That Could Define This World Cup Forty-eight teams entered this World Cup.
Forty are already home. What's left is the sharpest edge of the tournament — four quarter-finals, spread across four American stadiums, that will decide who gets a real shot at lifting the trophy on July 19. This isn't just knockout football anymore; it's the stage where reputations are made and broken in ninety minutes. Defending champions Argentina are still standing, but shakily. Spain look like the best defensive side of the tournament. Norway have found a genuine superstar. And two European heavyweights, France and Belgium, are chasing redemption stories of their own. Here's a full breakdown of every quarter-final, the tactics behind them, and where the smart money should go.
Quarter-Final 1: France vs Morocco Thursday, July 9 — Gillette Stadium, Foxborough (4pm ET)
This is a rematch nobody saw coming twice. Morocco's fairytale run ended against France in the 2022 semi-final in Qatar, and now they get a shot at revenge one round earlier. Morocco reached this stage by stunning Spain on penalties and grinding past Portugal in the knockout rounds, building the kind of momentum that carried them deep four years ago.
Morocco's game plan hasn't changed: a compact defensive block, disciplined pressing triggers, and rapid transitions once they win the ball back. Against a France side loaded with pace in behind, that discipline will be tested from minute one. France, meanwhile, have the deeper squad and the bigger names — but fatigue and injuries have hurt Morocco before at this exact stage.
Prediction: France, narrowly. Their squad depth should tell over 90 minutes, though a shock is far from impossible.