Every Nation Qualified for the 2026 World Cup Quarterfinals

The remaining 16 teams are battling it out for a spot in the final eight.

Kylian Mbappé led France to the quarterfinals. | Erick W. Rasco/Sports Illustrated

The stakes are high in the World Cup round of 16, with just eight teams able to advance to the quarterfinals.

We’ve already seen big names fall—Germany and Croatia among them—while those still in the race are starting to dream about seeing their name in lights at MetLife Stadium on July 19. That being said, there is still a long way to go.

Here’s every team that has already booked a spot in the 2026 World Cup quarterfinals.

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Every Team to Have Qualified for 2026 World Cup Quarterfinals

Morocco handled business in Houston. | Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

• Morocco
• France
• Norway
• England
• Spain
• Belgium
• Argentina
• Switzerland

Morocco became the first team to qualify for the final eight, securing a 3–0 victory over Canada thanks to a brace from Azzedine Ounahi and a stoppage-time exclamation point from Soufiane Rahimi. The Atlas Lions were not at their best in the opening 45 minutes on Saturday, but they turned it on after the restart and outclassed Jesse Marsch’s men.

The team’s stars delivered when it mattered most, with Achraf Hakimi setting up the winner and Brahim Díaz assisting the next two goals. By the time the final whistle sounded, it was jubilation from Morocco, but also a sigh of relief after a frustrating, tense first half.

France soon followed suit with a 1–0 victory over Paraguay. It was not Les Bleus’ prettiest win by any means, but they hung around against a pesky opponent playing with 10 men behind the ball until Désiré Doué won his side a game-winning penalty just minutes after he came onto the pitch.

Kylian Mbappé cooly buried the penalty to get France on the scoresheet in the 70th minute, sealing the game from the spot. The win extended the team’s perfect run at this summer’s World Cup.

Norway was the next nation to punch its ticket to the quarterfinal, downing five-time world champion Brazil, who had consistently reached the last eight since 1990. The Vikings continue to rely on star striker, Erling Haaland, who scored both of their goals in the eventual 2–1 win.

Brazilian legend Neymar Jr made one last impression in what was his final international outing, substituting onto the pitch in the 67th minute and scoring a stoppage time penalty kick to extend his all-time goalscoring record to 80.

England barely survived the Estadio Azteca, hobbling off with just 10 men and a narrow but 3–2 victory over a mighty Mexican side that hardly loses on home turf. Jude Bellingham proved the hero, scoring two first-half goals in the span of one minute and 38 seconds.

Jarell Quansah will be suspended for the country’s fifth consecutive quarterfinal appearance at a major tournament going back to 2018, which is a problem due to a lack of right backs.

Mikel Merino did the business for Spain. | Thomas COEX/AFP/Getty Images

Joining the party next was Spain, victorious over Portugal thanks to a late winner from super sub Mikel Merino to decide an otherwise tight contest that lacked clinical quality in the final third. La Roja is already the reigning European champion and is now one step closer to conquering the world.

The flipside of that round of 16 match, which saw Lamine Yamal mostly shackled, was the curtain falling on Cristiano Ronaldo’s World Cup career, and possibly his time in a Portugal shirt as well.

Belgium secured its place in the quarterfinals with an emphatic 4–1 victory over the USMNT, silencing the thunderous American crowd at Lumen Field in Seattle as well as providing a clear response to the highly-publicized scandal that has enveloped USMNT star striker Folarin Balogun and his red card reversal.

It was almost the exit door for title-holder Argentina, who entered the last 11 minutes of the round of 16 match against Egypt 2–0. The Albiceleste, led by Lionel Messi, pulled off the impossible, though, scoring three unanswered goals to walk away with victory by the final whistle and leave fans wondering if it had all been one crazy dream.

Switzerland was the final nation to qualify for the last eight, taking South American powerhouse Colombia all the way to penalty kicks after a scoreless draw through extra time. Switzerland will be the minnow of this stage and likely content just to be there, given it hasn’t reached the quarterfinals since 1954.

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When Do the World Cup Quarterfinals Begin?

The World Cup knockout stages are delivering all the drama. | Dursun Aydemir/Anadolu/Getty Images

After the round of 16 comes to an end on July 7, players and fans will all have a rare day of rest to recover before the start of the quarterfinals on July 9.

There will be just one match on July 9 and another on July 10, before the final two quarterfinal fixtures are held on July 11.

Those lucky sides that advance to the semifinals will get another few days of rest before the semifinals kick off on July 14.

2026 World Cup Knockout Stages

Phase	Dates
Quarterfinals	July 9–11
Semifinals	July 14–15
Final	July 19

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Where Will the World Cup Quarterfinals Be Played?

Canada and Mexico’s time as hosts comes to an end in the round of 16, with every game from this point on held in the United States.

Four cities have been selected as hosts for the quarterfinals. Boston, Los Angeles, Miami and Kansas City will all host their final matches at this tournament before another three cities take us home for the semifinals and final.

• Boston (July 9)
• Los Angeles (July 10)
• Miami (July 11)
• Kansas City (July 11)

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