World Cup QFs: Kane-Haaland Duel Headlines Last Eight
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- France face Morocco on Thursday in Atlanta (21:00 BST) in a 2022 semi-final rematch, with Morocco on a 34-match unbeaten run but never having beaten France, who have won seven straight head-to-heads and 11 of their past 12 matches overall.
- Spain meet Belgium on Friday in Los Angeles having yet to concede at this tournament, extending a run of six straight World Cup clean sheets — the longest by any side in tournament history — while Belgium's 13 goals rank third behind Argentina and France (14 each).
- Harry Kane sits one Golden Boot goal behind Erling Haaland (seven goals, 62 in 54 internationals) ahead of Saturday's England-Norway quarter-final in Miami, having just become England's all-time leading World Cup scorer with 14.
- Argentina face Switzerland on Sunday in Kansas City in Switzerland's first World Cup quarter-final since 1954, with Lionel Messi overtaking Kylian Mbappé atop the Golden Boot on eight goals despite becoming the first player to miss two penalties at a single World Cup.
- Six European sides plus one each from Africa and South America comprise the last eight; half of France's World Cup defeats this century have come against African teams (three of six) and only three of their current starters featured in the 2022 semi-final loss to Morocco.
Why it matters: Spain's run of six straight World Cup clean sheets is the longest by any side in tournament history, and that record meets Belgium's 13-goal attack on Friday. Saturday's Kane-Haaland clash in Miami will directly shape the Golden Boat race — Kane trails Haaland by one goal and Mbappé by two with three games left for each.
