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FWC on Sport Nation guideRiccardo Ball: How Norway could deny England of their 'coming home' moment
Riccardo Ball • July 9th, 2026 12:13 pm
Norway's Erling Haaland scored both goals to put them into the last eight of the World Cup | Photo: AP
Forty down, eight teams still standing as we reach the quarter-final stage of the FIFA World Cup 2026 edition.
Brazil, Germany, the Netherlands and all three host nations have fallen by the wayside.
Previous champions France, England and Spain are still in the running - as are current World Cup holders Argentina - plus four nations not many would have picked to make it this far: Morocco, Norway, Belgium and Switzerland.
Sport Nation has live coverage of the quarter-finals via our partners at SEN - check out our commentary guide for more information.
France v Morocco
The Moroccans will be France’s biggest test yet. This was the semi-final match up the French won to get to the 2022 World Cup final, so there’s reasonably recent form to look at here.
The Atlas Lions are reigning African champions and 18 of the 26-man squad came through academies and clubs in Spain, France, Belgium and the Netherlands, taking the same pathways as many of their opponents.
Brahim Díaz of Real Madrid and captain Achraf Hakimi - who is also captain of Champions League champions PSG - will be key. Les Bleus are yet to be really tested defensively, but the way Morocco have attacked this tournament means they will be in this quarter-final.
Morocco drew with Brazil in their opening group game, thrashed Scotland 3-nil and beat Haiti 4-2, before seeing off the Netherlands and Canada in the knock out stages with 10 goals scored in their five matches and they’re unbeaten in 34 straight contests. I think they’re every chance to upset the French.
Azzedine Ounahi (8) is mobbed by his teammates after scoring Morocco's second goal against Canada | Photo: AP
That said Les Bleus really are quite good. PSG's front three are available to coach Didier Deschamps, as is Real Madrid star Kylian Mbappe, and possibly the best player in the world right now, Michael Olise.
With 14 goals scored in the tournament so far their attack is world class, the midfield is solid and in Arsenal's William Saliba and Bayern Munich's Dayot Upamecano they’re well served at centre back - it’s the fullbacks where they look weakest.
Aston Villa’s Luca Digne tends to play on the left ahead of Theo Hernandez, whose form has faded since moving to the Saudi Pro League, while on the right Jules Kounde is preferred ahead of Chelsea's Marlo Gusto. That selection is quite telling given Kounde is really a centre back doing a job, but still considered a better option than the specialist Gusto.
This will be tight, expect some fire and possibly some extra time to decide on the semi finalist.
Michael Olise | Photo: Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire
Spain v Belgium
The Spanish were second favourites coming into the tournament but haven’t exactly lived up to the billing so far.
A 4-nil win over possibly the worst team at the tournament, Saudi Arabia, followed a nil-all draw with tournament darlings Cape Verde, and a dull 1-nil victory over Uruguay saw La Roja top the group before a 3-nil win over Austria and a 1-nil arm wrestle against the Portuguese got them into the quarter-finals.
The Belgians similarly had an underwhelming start to the competition before lighting up Group G with a 5-1 thrashing of the All Whites. They followed that with a come from behind 3-2 win over Senegal before putting co-hosts USA to the sword 4-1.
Will the Spanish live up to expectations this time around? Great question.
On paper they have the attacking talent to cause the Belgians plenty of problems, and defensively they’re solid too, conceding no goals in their five games so far.
The Belgians feel like they’re timing their run to perfection.
Romelu Lukaku - who has been injured much of the season - has game time, and more importantly goals in the tournament now (3 in his last 3 games). Kevin De Bruyne will be fresh having sat out the USA clash and Jeremy Doku will be fired up after being benched as well.
Line them up with two-goal hero vs the States in Charles De Ketelaere, captain Youri Tielemans, and Arsenal playmaker Leandro Trossard, and you have the makings of another World Cup epic.
Belgium captain Youri Tielemansl | Photo: EPA
England v Norway
I have no doubt that Norway can win this. Erling Haaland is a cheat code and if England offer up chances in this match, he will take them.
Norwegian captain Martin Ødegaard pulls the strings in attack, while former Manchester City starlet Oscar Bobb and RB Leipzig winger Antonio Nusa will like their chances against the English fullbacks.
There are parrallels between these sides. For Haaland there is Harry Kane and for Ødegaard there is Jude Bellingham - and much rests on the respective sides striker/playmaker combinations.
Defensively however there are question marks on both sides.
England’s best right back Reece James is injured, Jarell Quansah is suspended, and Djed Spence hasn’t exactly covered himself in glory. Covering England's backline is a midfield pivot of Elliot Anderson - who hasn’t looked worth the 166 million Manchester City have paid for him - and Declan Rice, who seems to be playing injured.
Ståle Solbakken’s side also have issues at the back, first choice left back Fredrik André Bjørkan is injured and the influential Julian Ryerson has a hamstring issue, lasting just over an hour against the Brazilians.
I think there’ll be goals in this one, it’s going to be about who is the more clinical.
Jude Bellingham celebrates with his England teammates | Photo: AP
Argentina v Switzerland
Lionel Messi’s side have been caught out in their last two outings and they’ll need to find a way to get back to their defensive solidity of the group stages when they take on the Swiss.
They gave up just one goal in the group stage, which came while they were 3-nil up against Jordan and Lionel Scaloni was giving the squad players a run ahead of the knockout stages.
Since then against Cape Verde, and then Egypt, the side lacked urgency, were guilty of playing at pedestrian pace and were found out with pace on the counter. That should give the Swiss hope because pace on the break is something they have.
Nottingham Forest winger Dan Ndoye and striker Breel Embolo have plenty of that, and the team have defensive solidity and experience in Ricardo Rodríguez, Manuel Akanji and Granit Xhaka.
Lionel Messi is ecstatic after scoring Argentina's equaliser against Egypt in Atlanta | Photo: AP
For Argentina, while Messi is obviously the main man, they really need Lautaro Martinez to find his scoring boots as he hasn’t fired at this World Cup and the last two wins (both 3-2) could’ve been far more one-sided if they’d taken their chances. They out shot their opposition 41 to 21, yet only narrowly won both games.
Of the four matches, this is the one I think is easiest to call, Argentina should win it but they’ll need to improve on the performances of the last two games to make sure the Swiss aren’t given a sniff.
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Eight nations remain at FIFA World Cup 2026 | Sport Nation
