FIFA World Cup 2026: Quarter final fixtures confirmed as France, Argentina, Spain chase glory
The quarter-final line-up for the 2026 FIFA World Cup is complete, with eight nations still in contention for football's biggest prize following an action-packed Round of 16.
The last-eight stage will be played from Thursday, July 9, to Sunday, July 12, across four venues in the United States, with France, Morocco, Spain, Belgium, Norway, England, Argentina and Switzerland battling for places in the semi-finals.
The quarter-finals get underway on Thursday as France face Morocco at Boston Stadium. Spain will then take on Belgium in Los Angeles on Friday, while Norway meet England in Miami on Saturday. Defending champions Argentina round off the quarter-final action against Switzerland in Kansas City on Sunday.
Quarter-final fixtures
Thursday, July 9
France vs Morocco
Time: 9:00 p.m. WAT
Venue: Boston Stadium
Friday, July 10
Spain vs Belgium
Time: 8:00 p.m. WAT
Venue: Los Angeles Stadium
Saturday, July 11
Norway vs England
Time: 10:00 p.m. WAT
Venue: Miami Stadium
Sunday, July 12
Argentina vs Switzerland
Time: 2:00 a.m. WAT
Venue: Kansas City Stadium
One of the biggest talking points of the Round of 16 was the elimination of all three tournament co-hosts. The United States suffered a heavy 4-1 defeat to Belgium, Canada were comfortably beaten 3-0 by Morocco, while Mexico exited after a thrilling 3-2 loss to England.
The results marked the first time in modern FIFA World Cup history that all co-host nations have been eliminated in the same knockout round.
Switzerland secured the final quarter-final berth by defeating Colombia 4-3 on penalties after a goalless draw. The victory ended the Swiss side's 72-year wait for a World Cup quarter-final appearance—their first since hosting the tournament in 1954—and also earned them their first-ever World Cup penalty shootout victory.
Spain also needed late drama to progress, with Mikel Merino scoring a stoppage-time winner in a 1-0 victory over Portugal. The defeat brought Cristiano Ronaldo's World Cup career to a close.
Meanwhile, the race for the Golden Boot remains finely poised. Lionel Messi leads the scoring charts with eight goals, followed by Kylian Mbappé on seven, while Erling Haaland has six, setting up an intriguing battle among three of the tournament's biggest stars as the competition enters its decisive stage.
Join the Savid News channel on WhatsApp:
