FIFA World Cup 2026 Quarterfinals: Bracket Takes Shape With Morocco-France, Norway-England Set
Two quarterfinals are locked in — Morocco vs France on July 9 in Boston and Norway vs England on July 11 in Miami — while the final two last-eight matchups will only be confirmed once Monday's and Tuesday's Round of 16 fixtures are settled.
Two Quarterfinals Officially Locked In
The FIFA World Cup 2026 quarterfinal picture is filling in fast. With the Round of 16 winding down, two of the four last-eight matchups are now fully confirmed, giving fans their first concrete look at how the road to the final is shaping up. The tournament remains split across venues in the United States, and the next seven days promise some of the most consequential football of the summer.
Morocco punched its ticket first, dismantling co-host Canada 3-0 in the Round of 16 to become the first African nation in history to reach the World Cup quarterfinals in consecutive editions, following its historic semifinal run in Qatar 2022. The Atlas Lions were clinical and controlled throughout, and their fanbase — among the loudest and most visible of this tournament — will travel in force to New England for the next round.
France, meanwhile, needed a moment of controversy to get past a stubborn Paraguay side. Les Bleus won 1-0 thanks to a Kylian Mbappé penalty converted after a lengthy VAR review that sparked heated debate among pundits and Paraguayan players, who felt the contact inside the box did not warrant a spot-kick. Regardless of the debate, the result sends France into a fourth consecutive World Cup quarterfinal, and it sets up a rematch of the dramatic 2022 semifinal between the two sides, which France won on its way to the final.
On the other side of the bracket, Norway continued its fairytale run, eliminating five-time champions Brazil 2-1 thanks to a second-half brace from Erling Haaland, who has now turned himself into one of the tournament's most feared finishers. England also advanced with a 3-2 win over Mexico, powered by a Jude Bellingham double that turned an entertaining, back-and-forth Round of 16 tie in England's favor. Norway and England will now meet in Miami for a place in the semifinals.
Confirmed and Pending Quarterfinal Bracket
Here is the full quarterfinal picture as it stands on July 6, combining confirmed fixtures with the matchups still waiting on today's and tomorrow's Round of 16 results:
| Quarterfinal | Date | Venue |
|---|---|---|
| Morocco vs France | Thursday, July 9 | Boston Stadium (Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, MA) |
| Winner Portugal/Spain vs Winner USA/Belgium | Friday, July 10 (reportedly) | SoFi Stadium, Inglewood, CA |
| Norway vs England | Saturday, July 11 | Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, FL |
| Winner Argentina/Egypt vs Winner Switzerland/Colombia | Saturday, July 11 (reportedly) | Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, MO |
The Morocco-France date and venue are firmly confirmed by multiple outlets, as is the Norway-England pairing in Miami. The other two quarterfinal slots and their exact kickoff order for July 10 and July 11 are still being finalized in tournament coverage as the bracket updates in real time, so treat those dates and venues as provisional until FIFA's official match schedule locks them in over the next 48 hours.
What Still Needs to Be Decided
Today, July 6, brings two of the remaining Round of 16 matches that will shape the bottom half of the bracket. Portugal faces Spain in what is arguably the most anticipated tie of the round, while the United States takes on Belgium in a match that could send the co-hosts into an all-European quarterfinal against the Portugal-Spain winner. Both results will directly determine who plays in the July 10 quarterfinal at SoFi Stadium.
Tomorrow, July 7, Argentina faces Egypt and Switzerland meets Colombia, two matches that will define the final quarterfinal slot, reportedly scheduled for Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City on July 11. Argentina, chasing a follow-up to its 2022 title, will be favored against an Egyptian side built around Mohamed Salah, while Switzerland and Colombia offer a more evenly matched contest between two teams that have impressed in different ways throughout the group stage and Round of 32.
Once these four Round of 16 matches are complete, FIFA is expected to confirm the full quarterfinal schedule, including precise kickoff times and any adjustments to the July 10 and July 11 slate. Fans planning travel to Kansas City or Inglewood should keep an eye on official FIFA channels for the final confirmation, since venue assignments for the two undecided quarterfinals have been reported consistently but not yet locked into the official match calendar.
Storylines to Watch Heading Into the Quarterfinals
Beyond the results themselves, this stretch of the tournament has been defined by individual brilliance. Haaland's brace against Brazil continues a scoring streak that has made him the most discussed player of the knockout rounds, while Bellingham's double against Mexico reinforced his status as England's talisman in the absence of other injured starters. Mbappé's controversial penalty against Paraguay will likely dominate pre-match buildup ahead of the France-Morocco quarterfinal, with Moroccan players and staff already voicing frustration over the VAR decision in post-match interviews.
For a full recap of everything that happened across the tournament yesterday, including additional Round of 16 context and other results from July 5, read our Day 25 results recap. We'll continue updating this bracket tracker as Portugal vs Spain, USA vs Belgium, Argentina vs Egypt, and Switzerland vs Colombia are decided over the next two days.
Frequently Asked Questions
Two quarterfinals are locked in: Morocco vs France on Thursday, July 9 at Boston Stadium (Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, MA), and Norway vs England on Saturday, July 11 at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, FL.
The remaining two quarterfinals depend on four Round of 16 matches: Portugal vs Spain and USA vs Belgium on July 6, followed by Argentina vs Egypt and Switzerland vs Colombia on July 7. Once those are decided, FIFA is expected to confirm the final quarterfinal schedule, reportedly for July 10 at SoFi Stadium and July 11 at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City.
France's winning goal came from a Kylian Mbappé penalty awarded after a lengthy VAR review. Several pundits and Paraguayan players questioned whether the contact inside the box justified a spot-kick, making it one of the most debated refereeing decisions of the knockout stage so far.