World Cup 2026 Quarterfinals Begin With Morocco Seeking Revenge and Messi Chasing History

The 2026 FIFA World Cup quarterfinals have commenced, featuring four highly anticipated matches. Defending champions Argentina, led by Lionel Messi, aim to continue their title defense, while Spain seeks to maintain its impressive defensive record. Norway, buoyed by a stunning victory over Brazil, faces England, and Morocco looks to settle a score against France.

Morocco and France will meet in a rematch of the 2022 World Cup semifinal, where France advanced to the final. This time, Morocco hopes to reverse the outcome and advance further in the tournament. France enters as favorites, having won five matches and boasting the tournament's most potent attack led by Kylian Mbappé. Morocco, however, has demonstrated its ability to challenge any opponent.

Spain faces Belgium in a clash between Spain's strong defense, which has kept a clean sheet for over 600 minutes across five matches, and Belgium's dynamic offense, which impressed in their win over the United States. Spain holds a favorable recent record against Belgium and aims to continue its momentum toward the semifinals.

Norway, one of the tournament's surprises after eliminating Brazil, will play England, who recently secured a dramatic victory over Mexico. The match also features a notable subplot with seven Norwegian players competing in the English Premier League. Norway's star striker Erling Haaland and France's Mbappé are also contending for the tournament's top scorer title.

The final quarterfinal match pits Argentina against Switzerland. Argentina advanced after a dramatic comeback against Egypt, while Switzerland reached this stage by winning a penalty shootout against Colombia. Messi is chasing a historic achievement: leading Argentina to a consecutive World Cup victory, which would make him the first captain to win back-to-back titles and Argentina the first team since Brazil to defend the championship successfully. Switzerland enters the match with less pressure but hopes to cause an upset.

All remaining teams understand that any mistake at this knockout stage could end their World Cup dreams, setting the stage for intense and dramatic encounters as the tournament progresses toward the semifinals.