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France, Argentina, England, Belgium, Switzerland Reach Quarterfinals

7/10/2026

Summary

France Advances

Quarterfinals are winner-take-all with 30-minute extra time and a penalty shootout if tied after 90 minutes.
France’s 2-0 win over Morocco (goals by Kylian Mbappé and Ousmane Dembélé) and Argentina’s 3-2 comeback over Egypt (Enzo Fernández’s late winner) set quarterfinals on July 14 and versus Switzerland.
Belgium’s win over the United States, England’s 3-2 win over Mexico at Azteca Stadium, and Switzerland’s shootout triumph over Colombia complete the quarterfinal field.

Summary

FOX Sports Broadcasts

FOX Sports will broadcast the 104 matches, with 72 on FOX, 32 on FS1, and 4K streams on FOX One.
Brad Zager announced the quarter-final assignments on July 9, 2026.
John Strong and Stu Holden will lead commentary, with Jenny Taft on-field for the France-Morocco game.
Morocco, the first African side to reach a 2022 semi-final, entered the quarter-finals with 18-year-old Ayyoub Bouaddi, a recent France switch.

Summary

Supercomputer Predicts

Supercomputer analysis gives France a 73.09% probability to defeat Morocco in the quarter-final.
Spain’s modelled chance to overcome Belgium is 69.51%.
England’s likelihood of beating Norway is 62.76%, the highest among that pairing.
Argentina carries a 70.72% odds edge over Switzerland in the last-eight clash.
Overall win odds rank France at 26.91%, Spain at 21.30% and Argentina at 17.38%, while all other teams have single-digit chances and Switzerland about 3%.

Summary

Trump Blames Referees

Chris Martin is producing a show with Sesame Street and Muppets, funneling proceeds to FIFA’s Citizen Education Fund’s $100 million education-and-soccer drive.
Morocco may field six French-born players, with coach Mohamed Ouahbi saying the bonus is winning World Cup, dismissing a “nice” finish, and Michael Olise leading the tournament in assists.
U.S. President Donald Trump and Mayor Zohran Mamdani accused referees of bias, prompting FIFA chief Pierluigi Collina to defend officials.

History

Historical Context

The FIFA World Cup, held every four years since 1930 (except 1942-46), has featured 13 different finalists from 80 nations. France won its first title in 1998, becoming one of the two nations with two championships. The upcoming 2026 quarter-final against Morocco revives that legacy as the tournament expands globally.

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France Advances

Quarterfinals are winner-take-all with 30-minute extra time and a penalty shootout if tied after 90 minutes.
France’s 2-0 win over Morocco (goals by Kylian Mbappé and Ousmane Dembélé) and Argentina’s 3-2 comeback over Egypt (Enzo Fernández’s late winner) set quarterfinals on July 14 and versus Switzerland.
Belgium’s win over the United States, England’s 3-2 win over Mexico at Azteca Stadium, and Switzerland’s shootout triumph over Colombia complete the quarterfinal field.

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