World Cup 2026 Quarter-Finals Begin: Every Match Previewed
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- France are tournament favorites per the Opta Supercomputer as Kylian Mbappé has scored 7 goals (19 in 19 career World Cup games) ahead of Thursday's Foxborough opener against Morocco.
- Morocco meet France after a penalty shootout win over the Netherlands and a routine victory over co-hosts Canada, with captain Achraf Hakimi having just won back-to-back Champions League titles with PSG.
- Spain face Belgium in Los Angeles on Friday with a perfect defensive record — no goals conceded and a tournament-low xG against of 1.49 — anchored by 19-year-old Pau Cubarsí.
- Belgium advanced with a 125th-minute winner against Senegal after being 2-0 down with four minutes left, but face concerns that Kevin De Bruyne was an unused substitute vs the USA and Jeremy Doku has yet to register a goal involvement.
- Norway reached their first World Cup quarter-final behind Erling Haaland's 7 goals in 4 games and an infectious "Row" celebration, having notably scored 3 times in the 10 minutes following hydration or half-time breaks.
- England meet Norway at Miami on Saturday buoyed by their Azteca Stadium win over co-hosts Mexico, though their knockout wins over Panama, DR Congo and Mexico have not been "convincing enough to make them tournament favourites."
Why it matters: Single-elimination stakes now expose each side's vulnerability: France's Opta-favored status rests on a Mbappé-led front four, while Norway's hydration-break record, Belgium's 2-0 comeback vs Senegal, and Spain's goalless Cape Verde draw underline how thin the margins are among the last eight.
