EAST RUTHERFORD, NEW JERSEY – JUNE 30: Kylian Mbappe #10 of France celebrates scoring his team’s first goal during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round Of 32 match between France and Sweden at New York New Jersey Stadium on June 30, 2026 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Mattia Ozbot/Getty Images)
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Now, it gets really interesting as the elite eight prepare to continue their quest for glory at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The contenders include four sides that have won the World Cup: Defending champion Argentina (1978, 1986, 2022), France (1998, 2018), which lost to the South Americans in the final in Qatar four years ago, Spain (2010) and England (1996). They all happen to be the top four teams in the latest FIFA rankings.
The other four teams:
Morocco, which finished fourth in 2022; Belgium, which bested the U.S. in the Round of 16; Norway, playing in its first World Cup since 1998; and Switzerland, which reached the quarterfinals for the first time since 1954, when it hosted the tournament.
After finishing with a 5-3 record in the Round of 16, this writer has an 18-6 mark in knockout round predictions.
Here is a look at the four quarterfinal matches (FIFA rankings included):
FOXBOROUGH, MASSACHUSETTS – JUNE 26: Ousmane Dembele #7 of France celebrates scoring his team’s third goal during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Group I match between Norway and France at Boston Stadium on June 26, 2026 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer – FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)
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Thursday, July 9
No. 1 France vs. No. 6 Morocco, Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Mass. 4 p.m. ET
This confrontation is a rematch of the 2022 semifinals, in which France prevailed, 2-0.
No team has been able to stop the unbeaten and untied French side (5-0-0) as they eye their third successive World Cup final. Paraguay tried its best in the Round of 16, with some dirty tactics at times, trying to make striker Kylian Mbappe (seven goals) and crew lose their temper and focus. It didn’t work as the European power prevailed, 1-0, behind a Mbappe penalty kick. The triumvirate of midfielders Ousmane Dembele (four goals), and Michael Olise, and Mbappe makes it next to impossible for any team to stop. France boasts too much quality at just about every position.
The Moroccans are coming off a Round of 16 encounter in which they were outplayed by Canada in the opening half, but managed to find the net three times in the final half for a 3-0 result. Morocco might have to wait until game day to see if Moroccan forward Ismael Saibari will be fit to start after suffering a hamstring injury in the Round of 16 against Canada. Saibari has been the team’s main offensive threat. By scoring in each of the Group C matches, he became the second African player to tally three goals in a World Cup (Senegal’s Papa Bouba Diop was the first in 2002). Saibari also connected for the winning penalty kick in the shootout win over the Netherlands in the Round of 32.
Prediction: France 2, Morocco 0
ATLANTA, GEORGIA – JUNE 21: Mikel Oyarzabal #21 of Spain celebrates scoring his team’s third goal during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Group H match between Spain and Saudi Arabia at Atlanta Stadium on June 21, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)
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Friday, July 10
No. 3 Spain vs. No. 8 Belgium, SoFi Stadium, Inglewood, Calif., 3 p.m. ET
Spain enters this confrontation sporting a 35-game unbeaten streak. The defending (2024) European champions haven’t lost since a penalty kick shootout defeat to Morocco in the 2022 Round of 16 in Qatar. La Roja has been difficult to break down. The team hasn’t surrendered a goal and has recorded five successive shutouts. Teenage sensation Lamine Yamal, 18, who is still regaining his sharpness after a hamstring injury, and Mikel Oyarzabal (four goals) are the key attacking threats. A pair of second-half substitutes – Mikel Merino (goal) and Ferran Torres (assist) – teamed up for the stoppage-time goal that lifted Spain to a 1-0 win over Portugal in the Iberian derby in the Round of 16 on July 6.
Midfielder Charles De Ketelaere scored his first two goals of the competition in the 4-1 win over the United States in the Round of 16 on July 6. Super sub Romelu Lukaku, who tallied the final goal vs. the Americans, leads the Red Devils with three goals. The Belgians, however, will be forced to play without midfielder Amadou Onana, who suffered an ACL injury in the game. An interesting side note: the Belgium Football Association has asked to move its training facility to the LA Galaxy facility. The team reportedly claimed that its training facility at Loyal Marymount University “did not meet the minimum standards required.”
Prediction Spain 1, Belgium 0
EAST RUTHERFORD, NEW JERSEY – JULY 05: Erling Haaland #9 of Norway leads teammates in the Viking Row to celebrate the 2-1 victory during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 16 match between Brazil and Norway at New York New Jersey Stadium on July 05, 2026 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
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Saturday, July 11
No. 19 Norway vs. No. 4 England, Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, 5 p.m. ET
On paper, this could be the top quarterfinals match. It will pit a pair of quality strikers, Erling Haaland’s power against Harry Kane’s brilliance. While Haaland (seven goals) seems to be a one-man wrecking crew for the Norwegians, Kane (five goals) has had plenty of help, thanks to midfielder Jude Bellingham.
Bellingham (four goals) connected twice within 98 seconds to give England a 2-0 lead over Mexico during an exhausting 3-2 victory in the Round of 16 on July 5. After laboring in the cauldron and high altitude of Estadio Azteca, all eyes will be on the Lions to see if they recovered after playing in those conditions.
The Norwegians, who have never been this far in a World Cup, showed five-time champion Brazil the door in the Round of 16, registering a 2-1 win as Haaland struck twice in the final 11 minutes of regulation. Goalkeeper Orjan Nyland, who frustrated the Brazilians on several occasions, has been an unsung hero. Norway has been dealing with an undisclosed illness running through the team.
Prediction: Norway 2, England 1
ATLANTA, GEORGIA – JULY 7: Lionel Messi of Argentina celebrates scoring a goal to make the score 2-2 during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 16 match between Argentina and Egypt at Atlanta Stadium on July 7, 2026 in Atlanta, United States. (Photo by Chris Brunskill/Fantasista/Getty Images)
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Saturday, July 11
No. 2 Argentina vs. No. 14 Switzerland, Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Mo., 9 p.m. ET
Lionel Messi and company have been living dangerously and by the skin of their teeth in the knockout round. They barely got by World Cup debutant Cape Verde in extra time in the Round of 32, 3-2, before rallying from a two-goal second-half deficit in the second half to squeak by Egypt, 3-2, on July 7. Are the Argentines running out of steam or just teasing the world? Messi, who celebrated his 39th birthday, leads all scorers with eight goals in the Golden Boot race and has enjoyed an incredible World Cup scoring streak of nine games. The big question is if the well will run dry sooner rather than later. Who can pick up the slack when each climb up the ladder gets more precarious?
The Swiss are coming off a 120-minute scoreless draw with Colombia, after surviving a penalty-kick shootout in the Round of 16 on July 7. It might have been the least exciting game of that knockout round as both teams combined for four shots on target before extra time. Switzerland, which has conceded only three goals in five contests, has registered two consecutive clean sheets. Out of the eight remaining squads, Switzerland might be the least glamorous, but at this juncture of the competition, no teams should be counted out. Many of the Round of 16 matches have been tight, and a defensive blunder or a goalkeeper howler could change the course of a game.
Prediction: Argentina 2, Switzerland 0
Michael Lewis, the sixth recipient of the Clay Berling Media Career of Excellence Award in 2025, can be followed on Bluesky at @Soccerwriter. His 10th soccer book, Around the World Cup in 40 Years: An American sportswriter’s perspective, has been published.