The 2026 FIFA World Cup’s quarterfinal round reaches its climax on Saturday, with the final two semifinal berths still up for grabs after a knockout stage that has already knocked out all three tournament co-hosts. France and Spain have punched their tickets to the final four, while Norway takes on England and Argentina faces Switzerland in Saturday’s remaining quarterfinals, each carrying its own underdog or comeback storyline into the biggest match of the tournament so far.
What to know:
- All three co-hosts are out: Canada, Mexico and the United States were each eliminated in the round of 16, with Canada falling to Morocco 3-0, Mexico losing to England 3-2, and the USMNT beaten 4-1 by Belgium.
- France reached its third straight World Cup semifinal by beating Morocco 2-0 on July 9, with goals from Kylian Mbappé and Ousmane Dembélé.
- Spain edged Belgium 2-1 on July 10 thanks to an 88th-minute winner from substitute Mikel Merino, setting up a semifinal against France.
- Norway, fresh off a stunning 2-0 upset of Brazil in the round of 16, meets England Saturday at 5 p.m. ET at Miami Stadium.
- Argentina, which trailed Egypt 2-0 before storming back to win 3-2, faces Switzerland Saturday at 9 p.m. ET at Kansas City Stadium.
- The winners of Saturday’s two matches join France and Spain in next week’s semifinals.
For the first time since the tournament expanded, none of the three host nations will play in the World Cup quarterfinals. Canada was eliminated first, falling 3-0 to Morocco in the round of 16 at Houston Stadium — a result that made Morocco the first African team to reach back-to-back World Cup quarterfinals. Mexico followed, losing 3-2 to England, and the United States men’s national team was eliminated 4-1 by Belgium despite having advanced past Bosnia and Herzegovina in the previous round. The early exits mean the rest of the tournament will be played out largely in front of neutral crowds at the co-host cities still hosting matches.
France’s path to the semifinals has looked the most assured of any team left in the competition. Thursday’s 2-0 win over Morocco was a rematch of the 2022 World Cup semifinal, which France also won by the same scoreline. Kylian Mbappé broke the deadlock in the 60th minute with a curling shot into the far corner — his eighth goal of the tournament — after missing a first-half penalty. Ousmane Dembélé added a second in the 66th minute. The victory sends France to its third consecutive World Cup semifinal, a level of sustained success matched by few nations in the tournament’s history.
Spain’s route was considerably more dramatic. Belgium threatened to spring an upset before Mikel Merino, introduced from the bench, pounced on a rebound after Belgian substitute goalkeeper Senne Lammens spilled a routine shot in the penalty area. Merino’s 88th-minute strike secured a 2-1 win and a semifinal date with France, extending Spain’s own strong run through the knockout stage.
Saturday’s two remaining quarterfinals carry their own weight of history. Norway, which has not been a fixture of the World Cup’s later rounds in the modern era, stunned Brazil 2-0 in the round of 16 to reach this stage — one of the biggest upsets of the tournament. Standing in the way of a semifinal berth is an England side that eliminated co-host Mexico 3-2 in the previous round. The two teams meet at 5 p.m. ET at Miami Stadium, with a place in the final four on the line for both.
Argentina’s road to Saturday has been the tournament’s most dramatic. Trailing Egypt 2-0 as late as the 77th minute of their round of 16 match, Argentina scored three times in the closing stages to win 3-2, a comeback widely described as among the greatest in the competition’s history. Switzerland reached the quarterfinals by grinding out a scoreless draw with Colombia before winning 4-3 on penalties. The two sides face off at 9 p.m. ET at Kansas City Stadium in the day’s late kickoff.
By Saturday night, the World Cup’s semifinal field will be complete. France and Spain already know they will meet each other in the final four, while the winners of Norway-England and Argentina-Switzerland will fill out the other half of the bracket, with a place in the July 2026 final awaiting the eventual survivors.
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