Story perspectives

France Favored 34% as Quarterfinal Upsets Shock Tournament

7/8/2026

Summary

Story summary

France is the clear betting favorite for the 2026 World Cup with a 34.1% chance to win.
Quarterfinals start Thursday, July 9, with France-Morocco, Spain-Belgium, Norway-England and Argentina-Switzerland.
Four knockout upsets—Norway over Brazil, Morocco over Canada, Belgium over the United States, and Argentina over Egypt—marked the tournament’s most dramatic results.
Betting odds give Argentina 18.8%, Spain 18.7%, England 15.6% and Norway 6.4%, showing the 48-team format’s effect.

History

Historical Context

In June-July 1998 France hosted the 16th FIFA World Cup, expanding the finals to 32 teams for the first time and staging the final at the 80,000-seat Stade de France. France, absent from the 1994 tournament, defeated defending champions Brazil 3-0, becoming the seventh nation to win and the first host champion since Argentina 1978. The event drew an estimated 1.3 billion TV viewers worldwide.

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Story summary

France is the clear betting favorite for the 2026 World Cup with a 34.1% chance to win.
Quarterfinals start Thursday, July 9, with France-Morocco, Spain-Belgium, Norway-England and Argentina-Switzerland.
Four knockout upsets—Norway over Brazil, Morocco over Canada, Belgium over the United States, and Argentina over Egypt—marked the tournament’s most dramatic results.
Betting odds give Argentina 18.8%, Spain 18.7%, England 15.6% and Norway 6.4%, showing the 48-team format’s effect.

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