Cheers to another legendary Round of 16 coming to an end! The 2026 FIFA World Cup quarterfinal lineup is complete after a week of unforgettable moments, including late winners, penalty shootouts, and one incredible comeback that will go down in history. France, Morocco, Norway, England, Spain, Belgium, Argentina, and Switzerland have all secured their places, with four quarterfinal matches set to be played across the United States. Some of the tournament’s favourites found a way through, while others saw their World Cup dreams sadly come to an end. Keep reading for a recap of every Round of 16 match and what to expect for the quarterfinals coming up next!
Morocco continued to prove they're one of the toughest teams left in the competition with a 3-0 victory over co-hosts Canada in Houston! Despite Canada creating the better chances in the opening half, Moroccan goalkeeper, Yassine Bounou, made several outstanding saves to deny Jonathan David and Tani Oluwaseyi. Morocco then took control after halftime. Azzedine Ounahi scored twice with a stunning free kick followed by a counterattack late in the match, while Soufiane Rahimi added another in stoppage time to secure both their win and their place in the quarterfinals. It was a heartbreaking end for Canadian fans after the team reached the knockout stage for the first time in history. While Morocco once again demonstrated why they’re considered one of the strongest competitors of this tournament!
France showed extreme patience against Paraguay after coming into the match full of confidence after eliminating Germany, eventually winning 1-0! Paraguay defended with everything they had and frustrated France for most of the afternoon, making it difficult for Kylian Mbappe to create chances. The breakthrough finally came when VAR awarded France a penalty after Désiré Doué was brought down in the box. Kylian Mbappe calmly scored from the spot in the 69th minute with his seventh goal of the tournament, sending France into the quarterfinals. It may have not been France’s most entertaining performance, but they stayed calm and resilient throughout the match against one of the toughest and most defensive teams in the tournament!
One of the biggest surprises of the Round of 16 was when Norway defeated Brazil 2-1 in New Jersey! Brazil had every chance to take control early after winning a penalty, but Orjan Nyland came up with a huge penalty save and never looked back. He made multiple saves for Norway before Erling Haaland scored twice to secure their spot in the quarterfinals, ultimately knocking out one of the tournament favourites. Neymar's late penalty made the final score closer, but Brazil was never able to recover, suffering their earliest World Cup exit since 1990. The defeat was devastating for some, especially considering this will likely be Neymar's final World Cup appearance. While Norway celebrated reaching the quarterfinals for the first time in history!
England survived a thrilling battle against co-hosts Mexico, winning 3-2 in front of a passionate home crowd! Jude Bellingham had everyone watching in the stadium stunned after scoring two consecutive goals, putting England in control before Mexico’s Julian Quinones pulled one back before halftime. The match became even more unpredictable after Jarell Quansah was sent off early in the second half, leaving England with only 10 players left. Then Harry Kane converted a penalty, followed by a penalty from Raul Jimenez after a VAR review. The final minutes were incredibly tense as the teams went head-to-head, but England stood their ground despite the pressure, securing their place in the final eight teams where they’ll be going up against Norway!
The highly anticipated match between Portugal and Spain had a heartbreaking end for many fans! It wasn’t full of non-stop action or goals like we had anticipated. Both teams created chances throughout a closely contested match, with Diogo Costa making several excellent saves and Portugal coming closest through Nuno Mendes, whose shot hit the crossbar. It looked like the game was heading for extra time until substitute Mikel Merino scored a winning goal for Spain. Portugal nearly managed to score in the final seconds of the match, unfortunately Bernardo Silva’s shot landed on the top of the net. The 1-0 defeat marked the end of Cristiano Ronaldo’s legendary World Cup career, leaving many fans heartbroken with the outcome, while Spain is now heading into another quarterfinal stronger than before!
Belgium ended the United States’ dream run with a shocking 4-1 victory in Seattle! Charles De Ketelaere was the star of the match, scoring twice in the opening half and putting Belgium in complete control. Malik Tillman briefly gave the home fans some hope with a free-kick equalizer but were no match for Belgium. The American team improved after halftime, but a goalkeeping mistake allowed Hans Vanaken to score 3-1 before Romelu Lukaku added a late fourth goal. The match was surrounded by controversy after FIFA’s decision to overturn Folarian Balogun’s suspension followed by an intervention by President Donald Trump, but Belgium stayed focused and delivered one of their strongest performances ever, securing their spot in the quarterfinals!
If there was one match everyone will be talking about for years, it’s Argentina’s unbelievable comeback, defeating Egypt 3-2 in Atlanta! Egypt looked like they were on their way to one of the greatest upsets in World Cup history after Yasser Ibrahim’s first half header and Mostafa Ziko’s second-half strike gave them a 2-0 lead. They even had another goal ruled out earlier after a VAR review, while goalkeeper Mostafa Shobeir produced several outstanding saves, including stopping a Lionel Messi penalty. With just over 10 minutes remaining, it appeared to be over for Argentina. Then Cristian Romero headed home before Messi equalized with a brilliant finish to score his record-extending 21st World Cup goal. In stoppage time, Enzo Fernandez completed the comeback with the winning header to secure a remarkable 3-2 victory, leaving Egypt completely devastated!
The final ticket to the quarterfinals went to Switzerland after a tense scoreless draw with Colombia ended in penalties! Neither team could find a breakthrough in over 120 minutes, although both came very close on multiple occasions. In the shootout, Gregor Kobel became Switzerland's hero with a huge save before Ruben Vargas confidently converted the winning penalty, sending Switzerland into the World Cup quarterfinals for the first time since 1954. It wasn’t the most entertaining round of 16 match, but the penalty shoutout led to a dramatic end. We can’t wait to see Switzerland go head-to-head with Argentina in the quarterfinals!
After an incredible Round of 16, only eight teams – Morocco, France, Norway, England, Spain, Belgium, Argentina, and Switzerland – are still on the road to winning the World Cup trophy! With four exciting matchups taking place over the next few days, fans are already speculating on who will come out on top:
The quarterfinals will kick off with one of the most anticipated matches of the tournament as France takes on Morocco on July 9th! Fans are considering this a rematch of the 2022 World Cup semifinal, but this time the Moroccan team looks even stronger than the one that made history in Qatar. Kylian Mbappe continues to chase Lionel Messi in the Golden Boot race and the all-time World Cup scoring record, creating a battle between two teams and two legendary players.
Spain and Belgium are also shaping up to be an exciting match following the drama that unfolded in the round of 16 matches with Spain’s dramatic stoppage-time win over Portugal and the controversy surrounding Belgium’s match against the United States. Spain's young stars, specifically Lamine Yamal, is once again expected to set the tone for the quarterfinals battle!
The matchup many fans are looking forward to is Norway vs. England! Erling Haaland has made his mark on the biggest stage throughout the tournament, already scoring seven goals and helping his team knock out Brazil. But England also showed their strength by beating Mexico with only 10 players remaining, led by Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane. The Haaland versus Kane storyline is back in full swing, with fans saying the teams are pretty evenly matched!
The final quarterfinal match is between defending champions Argentina and Switzerland! Argentina made World Cup history with their unforgettable comeback against Egypt, proving they never stop trying even when the odds aren’t in their favour. Lionel Messi is in the lead for the Golden Boot race with eight goals, and, at this point, we expect history to be made whenever he steps onto the field. Switzerland has also pulled off great performances throughout the tournament, eliminating Colombia in a tense penalty shootout and experiencing their best World Cup run in over 70 years!
● France vs Morocco on Thursday, July 9, at 4pm (20:00 GMT) – Boston Stadium, US
● Spain vs Belgium on Friday, July 10, at noon (19:00 GMT) – Los Angeles Stadium, US
● Norway vs England on Saturday, July 11, at 5pm (21:00 GMT) – Miami Stadium, US
● Argentina vs Switzerland on Saturday, July 11, at 8pm (01:00 GMT on Sunday) – Kansas City Stadium, US
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