Europe has stamped its dominance on the 2026 World Cup quarter-finals, with 6 of the 8 teams reaching the last eight coming from the continent — the largest European presence in a tournament held outside Europe since the 1994 World Cup in the United States, when 7 teams qualified.
The six European quarter-finalists are France, Spain, Belgium, England, Norway and Switzerland, joined by Argentina as South America's representative and Morocco as Africa's.
In the round of 16, France advanced with a 1-0 win over Paraguay, while Norway eliminated Brazil 2-1 and England beat Mexico 3-2. Spain settled the Iberian derby against Portugal with a single goal.
Belgium swept past the United States 4-1, while Argentina overturned a deficit against Egypt to claim a dramatic 3-2 victory. Switzerland completed the quarter-final lineup by eliminating Colombia 4-3 on penalties after a goalless draw.
The quarter-final draw sets up wide-open clashes across the board: France face Morocco, Spain take on Belgium, Norway meet England, and Argentina play Switzerland. In the semi-finals, the winner of France vs Morocco will face the winner of Spain vs Belgium, while the winner of Norway vs England will meet the winner of Argentina vs Switzerland.