Rabat – Eight nations remain in the hunt for the 2026 FIFA World Cup title, each reaching the quarterfinals through a different path and with their own tactics. Together, they set the stage for four high-stakes fixtures that promise a blend of experience, resilience, and ambition.
The Atlas Lions have once again turned collective football into their greatest strength. Morocco emerged as one of the tournament’s most organized and defensively solid teams, but Mohamed Ouahbi’s side has also shown attacking quality, midfield dynamism, and the ability to change games through decisive second-half substitutions.
It is this balance between rock-solid defense and offensive quality, coupled with remarkable team unity, that has brought Morocco to this stage of the World Cup.
The remaining contenders have each followed a different path to the last eight. Spain arrived with a clean sheet, but their hardest game came against Portugal, when Mikel Merino secured Spain’s place in the quarterfinals by scoring a last-minute goal at the 91st minute.
Argentina, meanwhile, turned a two-goal deficit against Egypt into a win of 3-2 with Lionel Messi delivering another masterclass performance.
Norway, on the other hand, is probably this tournament’s biggest surprise, eliminating five-time champions Brazil with a 2-1 win, even though they had never gone past the Round of 16 in World Cup history.
Switzerland held their nerve in a penalty shootout against Colombia to keep their dream alive and qualify for the quarterfinals, where they will face the 2022 World Cup winners Argentina.
France, Group I’s toppers, have progressed further in this tournament after edging past Paraguay to set up another meeting with Morocco after their Qatar semi-final clash.
England qualified at the expense of co-host Mexico in one of this edition’s most captivating showdowns, keeping Harry Kane’s dream of winning the World Cup title alive.
Belgium reached the quarterfinal lineup by eliminating the co-host the United States, with their electrifying attacking line and a wall in goal, Thibaut Courtois.
Different journeys, different playing styles, but the same ultimate goal: winning football’s biggest prize at one of the most surprising World Cup editions ever.
