Category: Soccer

Argentina Weren’t Just Outclassed By Spain. They Were Embarrassed.

It’s a fine thing to lose a match where you’re an underdog. But there are such things as competitiveness and losing with grace, holding your head high as you go home knowing you gave it all you had. After a lifeless showing in the World Cup final where they showed more fight with their fists than their feet, Argentina can’t do any of that.

Cover photo taken from Getty Images.

It’s a fine thing to lose a match where you’re an underdog. The other team is better than you, plain and simple.

But there are such things as competitiveness and losing with grace, holding your head high as you go home knowing you gave it all you had. We’ve seen that time and time again at this World Cup, from Cape Verde and Egypt to Norway and Mexico.

After a lifeless showing in a 1-0 loss to Spain in the World Cup final where they showed more fight with their fists than their feet, Argentina can’t do any of that.

Most well-informed prognosticators would have told you that Spain were the clearly superior side heading into the final. It didn’t take very long to realize how truly substantial that gap in quality was.

From the opening whistle, Spain were in complete control of the match thanks to their patented possession domination and boa constrictor-like defending. Having 65% possession and completing 763 passes to Argentina’s 357 felt like numbers that we could have guessed on Sunday morning.

That in and of itself was not a surprise. The shock came in just how effectively they neutralized one of the best attacking teams at this tournament, spearheaded by the so-called GOAT, Lionel Messi.

Argentina became the first team in World Cup history to not muster up a single shot in 90 minutes of play — an unfathomable stat by its lonesome. And even after the additional 30 minutes, that total sat at a measly two shots, none of which were on net. The defending champs finished without a single big chance, a drab 0.22 xG and just eight touches in the Spanish box.

Lionel Messi and Argentina had no answers for Spain on Sunday. (h/t NBC News)

It’s fair to say that Spain didn’t make the most of their attacking chances, putting many of their shots right down the middle for easy saves or failing to even convert a big chance into a shot. Still, they wound up with a whopping 20 shots, 12 shots on net and 2.29 xG with 32 touches in the opposing box.

Forget a World Cup final — that would be a shocking discrepancy if this was Spain and Curaçao. If it wasn’t for another unbelievable Dibu Martinez effort in the Argentina net, this final would’ve been over before it even started. Thank goodness Ferran Torres found the back of the net in the 106th minute, because I think Messi and company would have actually won a penalty shootout with Dibu playing like he was.

But the poor quality of play might not even be the biggest embarrassment that Argentina provided on Sunday afternoon in New Jersey. They diluted and spoiled the match with their trademark thuggery and baseless crybaby mentality, all while the referees let them get away with their usual shenanigans for quite some time.

It started early when Mac Allister leapt for an ill-advised slide tackle attempt on Dani Olmo and crunched him to the ground without making a shred of contact with the ball. A whistle blew for a foul, but no card was shown; if you’re going to use the excuse of it being “too early” in the match for a booking, then you’re beyond mistaken. A challenge like that deserves a yellow card, regardless of it being the first or 90th minute.

Fast forward a few minutes and Lamine Yamal was brought to the ground by Nicolas Tagliafico in a challenge that would get an NFL player fined for a hip-drop tackle. The 19-year old winger was grabbed by the shoulders before Tagliafico leapt into the air and got nearly parallel to the ground before dragging Yamal to the turf. Again, no yellow card despite the fact that a more “successful” challenge could’ve resulted in a game-changing injury.

Nothing to see here. (h/t AP Photo)

Color was finally shown after halftime when freshly-subbed-on Leandro Paredes pushed Rodri in the back, sending him to the ground with some admittedly unnecessary embellishment.

Enzo Fernandez was shown a yellow in the 82nd minute for simulation — a booking that he could only smile about — and it felt like he, as a key member of the Argentina attack, would conduct himself with a little more decorum, especially as extra time seemed like more and more of a certainty. But no, he leapt into Pau Cubarsi with one of the most puzzling challenges you’ll ever see in stoppage time, sending the eventual Best Young Player award winner flipping in the air. It was an easy decision for a second yellow, despite Enzo’s nonsensical petitions, wagging his finger in the air in protest.

It was a final to forget for Enzo Fernandez. (h/t The Mirror)

Playing extra time with 10 men, even Messi got in on the action to try to level the playing field by raising his hand and calling for the referee after Marc Cucurella briefly brought his hand to his mouth during a stoppage of play, appealing for a red card. It was embarrassing, akin to a school bully appealing to his teacher because the little guy finally fought back — completely beneath the station of the consensus best player ever.

And to wrap it all up in a neat bow, Paredes incited a post-game scuffle right after the final whistle, getting in the chest of Eric Garcia and eventually grabbing him by the throat leading to a mild brawl between six or seven Spaniards and Argentines. And though they stayed on the pitch for Spain’s celebrations, Argentina turned their backs to the stage while their necks were weighed down with silver medals that they neither wanted nor deserved.

It’s sad that this is what the defending champions have been reduced to. From Messi’s studs-on-calf challenge against Algeria not resulting in a foul, to the disallowed Egypt goal and subsequent claims of racism by Hossam Hassan, to the wild red card that sent off Breel Embolo of Switzerland and finally provoking Jude Bellingham of England and all the ballyhoo of the final. Argentina provided so much excitement to this tournament with their late-game heroics, but we will only remember them for their non-football antics that sullied an otherwise memorable run in Messi’s last hurrah.

Lionel Messi couldn’t ride off into the New Jersey sunset. (h/t Getty Images)

The 2026 FIFA World Cup was the biggest, most grandiose edition of the globe’s greatest competition to date. It was filled with heartwarming stories, unlikely heroes and incredible theater with some of the best games we’ve ever seen. The past six weeks in North America provided some of the most indelible sights and sounds in history, and we will never forget this incredible tournament on home turf.

For Argentina — the defending champions who are led by perhaps the greatest player to ever touch a football — to have gone out so sad and disgraced is equal parts unsurprising and disappointing.

German football legend Toni Kroos said it best on Twitter yesterday after the Spanish victory: football won.

Still Not Home: England Fumbles Away World Cup Semifinal To Argentina

For 30 minutes, it looked like it might finally happen. But Thomas Tuchel’s tactics turned an attempt to defend a lead into a willing loss of control. Bending your defense out of structure invites pressure, chances and chaos. England weren’t trying to win — they were trying to not lose.

For 30 minutes, it looked like it might finally happen.

After a wonderful connection between Morgan Rogers and Anthony Gordon in 55th minute put England in front of Argentina, 1-0, at the World Cup semifinal in Atlanta, the Three Lions knew what they had to do — spend the next half-hour and change keeping the ball out of their net.

And for 30 agonizing minutes, they succeeded. But it always felt like Argentina were closing in on that elusive equalizer, especially with their attacking subs now in the fold.

On cue, Enzo Fernandez ripped a screamer into the top left corner from about 25 yards out to knot the game in a tie in the 85th minute. And a mere seven minutes later, a picturesque Lionel Messi cross was laid right on the forehead of super sub Lautaro Martinez for the stoppage time winner, sending Argentina back to the World Cup final to defend their title against Spain.

It’s the latest installment in a knockout run littered with drama and late-game comebacks for Argentina, and their resilience deserves to be celebrated. But I can’t help but feel like England lost this game more than the defending champions won it.

Forget the fact that they only took five shots and accumulated a mere 0.53 xG. They got on the board first thanks to a lovely ball from Rogers and a really difficult finish from Gordon. After that, their lone responsibility was defending that lead. Easier said than done, sure, but the manner in which they went about it can be pinpointed as the reason for this result.

England manager Thomas Tuchel almost immediately shifted the shape of his squad, opting to put five men at the back and play as deep as possible to prevent Argentina from scoring. Three defenders were subbed on in a 10-minute span before the equalizer as his squad was consistently playing nine or 10 deep. He probably knew that the blitz was coming, seeing what happened to Egypt in the Round of 16, but the emphasis was on preventing goals, not preventing chances.

Thomas Tuchel will rightfully face a fair share of criticism for his second-half tactics.

But bending your defense out of structure can create its own problems. You invite pressure, you invite chances and you pretty much invite chaos.

England essentially never held any meaningful spells of possession after scoring; they just let Argentina put together attack after attack. By the end of the match, Argentina had 1.84 xG, 64% possession, over 250 more accurate passes, triple the number of shots (15) and four times the amount of touches in England’s box (28). Jordan Pickford kept a couple of attempts out of the net, but he was never going to keep that up until the full time whistle.

The dam was bound to break eventually. And when it did, England were flooded.

It’s one thing to want to defend your lead, it’s another to play on your heels entirely. It felt like Tuchel just let Argentina have their way, putting too much trust in his defense — which hasn’t exactly been the strongest — and living with the results. That’s no way to win a game of this magnitude.

It’s like folding at the river with two kings because you fear the man across from you has pocket aces. You’re not trying to win, you’re trying to not lose.

Still, it doesn’t help that England got nothing offensively from start to finish. Only one big chance in the match, a mere seven touches in the Argentina box and two shots on goal isn’t going to cut it in a World Cup semi. Aside from the long ball that set up the English goal — Harry Kane was virtually nonexistent with just 26 touches, none of which came in the opposing box — and no successful dribbles. Jude Bellingham picked the worst time to turn in his worst shift of the tournament, only garnering a single successful tribble while losing over half (7-of-13) of his ground duels.

Jude Bellingham and England let this one slip away.

Simply put, if you told anyone that Kane and Bellingham would combine for 0.02 xG (all from the former) today, nobody would have picked England to win. As such, they got the result they deserved.

It’s a shame for an English team that inspired so many with their grit and determination all tournament long. And it may have been their best shot at ending their 60-year trophy drought; who knows what Harry Kane’s fitness will be in four years’ time, and England’s best young players not named Jude still have a long way to go. But that’s a story for 2030.

And so we have our matchup in the 2026 World Cup final; La Roja vs. La Albiceleste in a game with no shortage storylines and intricacies that we’ll get into as we get closer to Sunday.

In the meantime, England will play France on Saturday for the proverbial bronze medal of the tournament, living with the devastation that they could have finally brought football home this year.

Spain’s Semifinal Masterclass Proves They’re The Best Team In The World

Dominance at the highest level isn’t frequent, and that makes it all the more emphatic and impressive. It makes you feel something — either awe or envy or even gratitude that you get to witness greatness. Spain just gave us that feeling in spades, proving they are the best footballing nation in the world.

Cover photo taken from NBC News.

It’s fairly easy to ascertain when you’re watching the best in the world at something. Dominance at the highest level isn’t frequent, and that makes it all the more emphatic and impressive. It makes you feel something — either awe or envy or even gratitude that you get to witness greatness.

Spain just gave us that feeling in spades, proving they are the best footballing nation in the world and punching their ticket to their second ever World Cup final with a 2-0 win over France.

An early penalty from Mikel Oyarzabal and a beautiful second-half finish from Pedro Porro provided the Spanish the cushion they needed to seal away the French, who looked as rattled and discombobulated as they ever have under Didier Deschamps.

I said in yesterday’s preview that Spain were more than capable of making France play their brand of football, suffocating them in the midfield and squeezing out their defensive opportunities while making the most of their attacking chances. But I could never have seen that formula come to fruition as prominently as it did on Tuesday afternoon in Arlington.

Though possession and passing totals were near dead even, this felt like one of the more lopsided contests between two squads of such high quality that I can remember. The Spaniards converted their 10 shots into 1.63 xG (helped by the aforementioned penalty) while France accrued a measly 0.30 xG from just as many attempts. They simply looked flustered from the word go, physically and mentally outmatched by the first side to match their intensity at this tournament.

Kylian Mbappe had absolutely nowhere to go with the few chances he had on the ball with just three successful dribbles out of eight, only accruing a drab 0.09 xG. Ousmane Dembele was a ghost until a couple of late brute force shots on net to try and muster up any sort of offense. Michael Olise closed out a brilliant tournament with a whimper, losing possession a whopping 2o times and failing to conjure up a single successful dribble with only 0.07 xA en route to being hooked after 72 minutes. Bradley Barcola essentially did an hour of cardio before being subbed out in the 57th minute.

In short, Spain shrunk one of the greatest attacking units we’ve ever seen into the most miniscule of threats.

Nowhere to run. (h/t Athlon Sports)

It’s a masterclass in midfield management and defensive dominance. Marc Cucurella was outstanding with seven defensive contributions and four tackles while winning four of seven ground duels. Rodri and Fabian Ruiz were infallible as always with a combined 13 defensive contributions, eight tackles, 12-of-19 ground duels won and 4-of-4 aerial duels won (all by Rodri). And Pedro Porro netted the aforementioned dagger in the 58th minute, slipping behind the sleeping French defense after a cheeky give-and-go with Dani Olmo.

It certainly helped that Spain’s attack put in a shift that was par for the course for them at this tournament, if not a little bit better. Oyarzabal continued his scoring ways while Dani Olmo picked up a massive assist and completed 29 of his 30 passes. But most importantly, Lamine Yamal left a much more tangible impact on the wing, winning the first-half penalty and keeping the French fullbacks honest with a couple of really good-looking runs — one of which led to a brilliant goal that was disallowed for a slight offside. It feels like his best is yet to come, and he’s in for a massive performance in the final on Sunday.

He just keeps scoring. (h/t Evening Standard)

France will undoubtedly be doing some soul-searching after having it snatched. This was a classic exposé of their deficiencies in midfield and defense — 90 minutes to completely forget if you’re anyone not named Adrien Rabiot, who didn’t even play the second half on a yellow card. Losing William Saliba to injury after 30 minutes didn’t help, but the seeds were already planted for the back line to be decimated. Lucas Digne in particular will face a healthy dose of criticism for his awful challenge which conceded the penalty and generally poor play.

But this is not all on any one Frenchman. As a collective, it was one of the worst performances they ever could have put together. And that’s why Spain deserve all the flowers for making it happen when it looked like France could and would bulldoze everyone in their path en route to another world championship.

Now, it’s La Roja who fit that description.

I certainly don’t envy England or Argentina. Your prize for grinding out a semifinal win is playing this Spanish team in the final? Sounds more like a punishment.

2026 World Cup Semifinals Preview

The top four teams in the world. A quartet of former champions. A rivalry with decades worth of bad blood. The budding football rivalry of the generation. Five of the tournament’s top six scorers. The GOAT and the heir apparent. Simply put, we have never seen a star-studded semi slate like this.

Cover photo taken from GMA Network.

We have reached the final four of a thrilling 2026 FIFA World Cup. And if I’m being honest, it’s the best semifinal lineup the world’s most prestigious sporting event has ever seen.

This is the first time since FIFA introduced its ranking system in 1992 that the teams ranked Nos. 1-4 have each made the semifinal. Each of these proud footballing nations have won a World Cup — a semifinal first since 1990. The four squads feature five of the tournament’s top six scorers, one of whom is heralded as the GOAT while another is chasing that title for himself.

Simply put, we have never seen a star-studded semi slate like this.

Les Bleus vs. La Roja in the budding football rivalry of the generation. The Three Lions vs. La Albiceleste in a rivalry that has decades worth of bad blood.

Lionel Messi and Argentina. Kylian Mbappe and France. Lamine Yamal and Spain. Jude Bellingham and England. All with their eyes set on the final on Sunday afternoon in New Jersey.

Buckle up, folks. This week is going to be a doozy.

France vs. Spain

Tuesday, July 14, 3 p.m. ET

I previewed this titanic showdown a few days ago, but there’s still so much more to be looked at within the margins of this showdown to determine what’ll separate these Goliaths tomorrow afternoon.

Truth be told, the pressure is on Spain in this match to do what they do best: control the pace of play, lock down the midfield and limit opposing chances. Luis de la Fuente’s side aren’t looking to live in the attacking third like Didier Deschamps’ French crew (although they do lead the tournament in touches in the opposing box). It took them all the way until the first half of their quarterfinal matchup with Belgium — a whopping 649 minutes — to concede a goal, and it’s safe to say they want that to be the only blemish on their record this summer.

And I honestly think they can accomplish that. They have the superior midfield when it comes to ball control even if Pedri doesn’t start or play a full 90 minutes. Their defense has been ironclad having allowed a miniscule 1.80 xG in six games, and they lead the tournament with an average of 66% possession per game. If there’s a team that can force the opposition into playing its brand of football, it’s Spain.

But you can go ahead and throw all of that out of the window when it comes to this France side. They are simply going to score, and there’s nothing you can do about it. If you give them an inch, they’ll take more than a mile. 14.3 xG and an average of 7.8 shots on goal in 27 total big chances at this tournament are numbers that shouldn’t make sense, but they do because this team has established a new norm.

They don’t need much to create an opportunity; something as simple as a giveaway to Michael Olise in the midfield can lead to an Mbappe or Ousmane Dembele goal in the blink of an eye, leaving the defense shell-shocked.

You can’t stop them. You can only hope to contain them. (h/t Roundtable)

That’s what I’m choosing to back. At the end of the day, this game is about scoring. And there’s no more prolific attacking team than the French, who are putting together one of the most unstoppable attacks I’ve ever seen at this level. The Spanish, on the other hand, just haven’t put that side of the ball together with only 17 big chances at this tournament. Yamal is still yet to provide that signature performance, and this run of late-game heroics isn’t a sustainable formula at this stage of the tournament.

de la Fuente is a winner through and through, having never lost any of his 13 major tournament games, seven of which have been knockout matches. But France are just as used to victories, roaring into their third consecutive semifinal. And I just think their attacking pedigree will prove to be the difference against a Spanish side that, quite frankly, still hasn’t put together its best form yet. If that attack figures itself out, Spain should be in the driver’s seat in this game. But if they find themselves playing from behind, it could get really uncomfortable really quickly. So, give me another pair of Mbappe and Dembele goals as Les Bleus reach a monumental third consecutive World Cup final.

Prediction: France win 2-1

England vs. Argentina

Wednesday, July 15, 3 p.m. ET

Speaking of unsustainable winning formulas, is anyone else getting the feeling that this Argentina pixie dust is about to wear off? Just me?

I’m just not very impressed by this side. For starters, they’ve made a six-game path to the semifinal where the highest-ranked team they played was No. 19 Switzerland look excruciatingly difficult. They have relied on a heaping of beneficial officiating decisions — from a bizarre VAR redirect leading to a red card for Switzerland to an unfathomable disallowing of a wonderful Egypt goal and everything in between. Let’s just say it’s not surprising that Argentina lead this tournament in penalties; weird to think that Messi has missed two of them.

I don’t know if this team is capable of putting together 90 good minutes against a team of relative quality, and that would scare me if I were a fan of them. But, they can score with the best of them, leading the tournament with 17 goals and reaching three in five of their six contests.

That’s not to say that England have been the most impressive side either. Thomas Tuchel would be the first to tell you that this team hasn’t played up to par and is leaving plenty of meat on the bone (just don’t relay that sentiment to Jude Bellingham).

But what they have more than any team at this tournament is grit and determination. As such, they’ve won four games in a row for the first time since they brought football home in 1966. Wins against DR Congo, Mexico and Norway were absolute grinds highlighted by resilience and — as Tuchel would highlight — mental fortitude.

This is an English team playing some of the most inspired ball that you can find, led by Bellingham, who is changing the game at age 23. He’s the first player since Maradona in ’86, ironically, to score two or more goals in consecutive knockout games with a total that has ballooned to six. That matches Harry Kane’s number as the two have become the first duo to ever score six apiece at a World Cup.

Jude Bellingham is transcending the game. (h/t Goal.com)

In any case, this might shape up to be the more dramatic of the two semifinals sheerly based on the vitriol these two nations share for each other. A heated 1966 quarterfinal where former England manager Alf Ramsey tried to stop swappings of shirts with the Argentinian players after a win that helped propel them to their lone World Cup victory. The infamous “Hand of God” goal from Diego Maradona in the quarterfinal that’s stamped in every football fan’s brain as one of the cornerstone moments in the history of the sport. David Beckham’s likely undeserved 1998 red card for hardly kicking Diego Simeone, then the Englishman’s winning penalty for revenge four years later. What does the latest installment in the rivalry have to offer?

Probably not the greatest quality of football you’ll ever see, but there will be no shortage of theatrics. Neither side’s ability to play a complete game has led to some of the most exciting moments of the tournament, and I expect that to continue on Wednesday afternoon. These are the only two semifinalists that have allowed more than two goals, each conceding six along the way. Each side’s star players have been the proverbial Flex Seal on the leaking water tanks, so what gives?

I think it’s the aforementioned grit of the Three Lions. They’re the likelier team simply because it feels like they want it more. While Argentina have been getting by against vastly inferior competition, England have been getting their hands dirty and winning by all means necessary. I think they are the hungrier dog in this fight, and I think that will be the prevailing factor after 90-120 minutes of back-and-forth action.

Prediction: England advance on penalties, 2-2 AET

outro

France-Spain Is The World Cup Climax We Deserve

Some collision courses are inevitable. France and Spain have been on an extended one for years now. And these squads are going to provide us with what might just be the true climax of a World Cup that has surpassed all the hype.

Cover photo taken from ESPN.

Some collision courses are inevitable. France and Spain have been on an extended one for years now.

It started with Les Bleus’ 2-1 victory in the 2021 Nations League Final before Spain returned the favor with the same scoreline in the 2024 Euro semifinal. Things boiled over a touch in the final of last year’s Nations League tournament with a wacky 5-4 Spanish victory. And coming into the 2026 FIFA World Cup, many a prognosticator predicted that these same two footballing titans would clash once again in the knockout rounds.

Well, here we are.

Rivals Lamine Yamal and Kylian Mbappe will face off once again on July 14 in Dallas. (h/t ESPN)

It’s honestly a shame that the bracket seeding prevented this from being the final, because it feels like that’s what this should be. That’s nothing against the four brilliant squads on the other side of the bracket — England, Norway and especially Argentina can definitely find themselves lifting the trophy in nine days’ time. But coming into this tournament, France and Spain were undoubtedly the co-favorites to bring glory home.

Now, only one can reach that final stage.

The French have arrived at this juncture by following their tried and true formula: keep playing it forward, and the goals will come. 22 shots and nine shots on target embodied that in their 2-0 quarterfinal win over Morocco. Despite missing a first-half penalty, Kylian Mbappe curled a peach of a strike into the far corner to thrust France ahead before Ousmane Dembele provided the dagger with a perfectly-placed roller into the bottom right. That gave the all-world duo eight and five goals, respectively, at this tournament, becoming the first tandem to reach such a figure since Ronaldo and Rivaldo did it for Brazil in 2002. And when you add Michael Olise to the mix, the trio’s 23 goal involvements top that of those two and Ronaldinho 24 years ago. Oh, and that pushed the French scoring total to 16 in six games with just two being conceded. Pretty, pretty good.

Mbappe having 20 World Cup goals in as many appearances is asinine no matter how you slice it. He is likely the best World Cup performer we’ve ever seen, shining blindingly bright in just his third appearance on the ultimate global stage. Only a higher power knows what that total will be 10 years from now.

He just keeps scoring. (h/t AP Photo)

Spain once again needed some late-match heroics to pull past an opponent they could’ve and should’ve beaten more soundly, but they’ll take the result no matter what. Friday’s 2-1 win over Belgium featured their first goal conceded at the tournament, but it really never felt like the Spanish were going to lose. They won the xG battle 2.04 to 0.36, had 17 shots and eight shots on target and dominated possession with 68%.

But this reinforces the common issue that Spain have had at this tournament: it just doesn’t look like they’ve put it together yet. They’re getting by because they’re so dang good, but we just need more out of that attack. They don’t lack for chances, but the finishing needs to improve to keep up with a squad like France.

Maybe Lamine Yamal can finally catch his stride. It’s been a very lackluster summer for the player many hail as the best in the world. If he wants to retain that title, or perhaps snatch it back from Mbappe, he’ll need a signature performance on Tuesday afternoon. It’s not that he’s been bad — he’s actually won several Man of the Match awards and his impact on the game can’t be understated — but the production simply hasn’t been there. The good news for him is that he’s undefeated against Mbappe in single-elimination knockout games across club and country. The bad news is that this will be far tougher than all of those matchups.

In any case, the reality is that these squads are going to provide us with what might just be the true climax of a World Cup that has surpassed all the hype. And that’s what we as the fans deserve. I have no doubt that Norway-England will be a tremendous game, and the subsequent semifinal and eventual final will be the same level of theater that the rest of the tournament has given us.

But it’s the collision course that catches our gaze. And this is the one we’ve been waiting for this whole time.

2026 World Cup Quarterfinals Preview

A raucous and thrilling 2026 FIFA World Cup has reached its final stages as the quarterfinals kick off this evening in Boston. Here’s my breakdown of each game and predictions for who will advance to the final four.

Cover photo taken from France 24.

And then there were eight.

A raucous and thrilling World Cup has reached its final stages as the 2026 quarterfinals kick off this evening in Boston. I’m here to break down each of the four matchups on tap this weekend and predict who’ll make it to the final four.

France vs. Morocco

Thursday, July 9, 4 p.m. ET

The quarters begin with perhaps the most enticing match of the entire round as France and Morocco get the party started in a rematch of the 2022 semifinal in Qatar. The Atlas Lions — who have become the first African nation ever to reach consecutive World Cup quarterfinals — will be looking for revenge against Les Bleus, but between France’s form and Morocco’s health, it won’t be easy.

The French have been bulldozing the competition from the opening whistle of the tournament, winning all five games and netting 14 goals along the way — half of which have come from superstar Kylian Mbappe. When he’s flanked by Ousmane Dembele with Michael Olise conducting everything from the midfield, it’s no wonder why this squad has lived up to the billing as one of the best in the world. Paraguay became the first team to hold them to under three goals at this World Cup, using brute force physicality to do so, but that didn’t stop France from grinding out a 1-0 victory courtesy of an Mbappe penalty in the second half.

Kylian Mbappe has lived up to the billing once again at the World Cup. (h/t ESPN)

Morocco also enter the quarters unbeaten, but it’s been a bit more of a grind. Entering 2026 with high hopes after reaching the semifinal four years ago, they’ve been as strong as advertised, winning each of the last four matches after opening with a 1-1 draw with Brazil. An early goal took care of Scotland before Haiti gave them a bit of a push in a 4-2 thriller. Drawing the Netherlands in a Round of 32 clash that was far too good of a matchup for so early in the tournament was daunting, but stoppage time heroics from Issa Diop led to a thrilling back-and-forth penalty shootout that saw Morocco go through to the last 16. After a very slow first half, they returned to form to knock off co-hosts Canada with an emphatic 3-0 showing.

But, that win didn’t come without a loss. Star winger Ismael Saibari — who netted three goals in the group stage — suffered a hamstring injury that is likely to keep him out of the rest of the tournament. Azzedine Ounahi scored two goals after being subbed on for Saibari against Canada, but the tasks only get tougher from here. Morocco will need the finest performances possible from Brahim Diaz and Achraf Hakimi to continue the dream and reach their second consecutive semifinal.

Unfortunately, I just don’t see that happening. France’s form is arguably the best in the world, and I don’t think any defense in this tournament has what it takes to stop the Mbappe-Dembele-Olise triumvirate. It should be a close fight, similar to their matchup in Qatar four years ago, but I see a second-half French flex en route to their third straight trip to the semis, where they’ll be hunting a three-peat of World Cup Final appearances.

Prediction: France win 2-0

Spain vs. Belgium

Friday, July 10, 3 p.m. ET

Spain have been ironclad at this World Cup, still standing as the only team to not concede a single goal despite facing some heavy hitters. We may have thought the sky was falling after opening the tournament with a 0-0 draw against Cape Verde, but in retrospect, that was just a sign of things to come for the underdog story of the year. The defending European champions easily dispatched of Saudi Arabia, Uruguay and Austria before grinding out a 1-0 win over Portugal in the Round of 16 that was much more lopsided than the final result would indicate.

Yet, it still feels like we haven’t seen this Spanish team play its best ball. Lingering injuries have meant superstar winger Lamine Yamal and maestro midfielder Rodri have been letdowns, but we all know how scary this attack can be if they figure it out. And that’s what the missing piece is; we can clearly see that this defense is the best in the world, they just need the consistent production from the offense to complement them. He has been outstanding as usual, but Mikel Oyarzabal can’t do all the goalscoring for this team.

The Spanish need Lamine Yamal to be his usual self if they want to win this World Cup. (h/t ESPN)

As such, all the pressure is on Spain in this game. Belgium are essentially playing with house money, still riding the high of a roller coaster tournament highlighted by a dramatic comeback against Senegal in the Round of 32 and an emphatic thumping of the co-host Americans earlier this week. The Belgian “golden generation” is certainly over, but you wouldn’t know it watching this squad, which has played some inspiring ball as of late.

Needless to say, Belgium will play freely and apply the same pressure that the whole nation saw them enforce on the USMNT on Monday. But, it’s much harder to do that against a Spain team that’s certainly more in lockstep than the Americans were. The key to victory for the Spanish is the same as it has always been: let the defenders do their thing and finish off those one or two attacking chances that are necessary to pull away. That strategy has served them well at this tournament, so I don’t see any reason why it’ll stop now. And if the attackers put it together like I mentioned before, this could be the game where Spain emerge as the frontrunners to win the whole thing.

Prediction: Spain win 1-0

Norway vs. England

Saturday, July 11, 5 p.m. ET

It’s been about a millennium since the Vikings last attacked the British mainland, but we’re about to see one hell of an encore from this upstart Norway team that you just can’t seem to take your eyes off of.

We know why that is, of course. Erling Haaland has been an international revelation since the day he netted nine goals in a World Cup qualifier, but it seems like Norway’s golden boy has reached a whole new level of stardom with his dominance at this tournament. Two goals in the opener against Iraq, then two more against Senegal (in a thrilling match that I was lucky enough to attend in-person) before netting the winner in the waning moments of a Round of 32 clash with Ivory Coast was just the setup for a dramatic brace to put away five-time world champions Brazil on Sunday. His seven goals lead the way at this tournament as he’s put an entire nation on his back. Reaching the knockout rounds for the first time wasn’t enough; Haaland has the whole dang thing in his sights.

Erling Haaland has the world in the palm of his hands. (h/t TIME)

Though Brazil may have boasted the flash, it really is England that will be the Norwegians’ toughest test yet. The Three Lions have been on a roller coaster at this tournament, going from an electric 4-2 win over Croatia to a lifeless 0-0 draw with Ghana and 2-0 win over Panama. Harry Kane heroics got them out of a stunning 1-0 hole against DR Congo in the Round of 32 before they overcame the tall task of playing Mexico at Estadio Azteca, escaping with a shorthanded, thrilling 3-2 victory that will live on forever in the English history books. In short, we seem to get a different England side every time we flip on the television, but each iteration we’ve gotten has shown a level of quality that we know is capable of achieving great things.

As such, I can easily visualize another back-and-forth affair between these two teams that have given us no shortage of theatrics. If there’s any matchup in these quarterfinals that screams penalty shootout to me, it’s this one. I can already see the Haaland goal followed by a dramatic Kane or Jude Bellingham equalizer that leads to an enthralling shootout. And, in that case, I just trust the experience and pedigree England a little bit more to get the job done as they continue the search to bring football home.

Prediction: England advance on penalties (1-1)

Argentina vs. Switzerland

Saturday, July 11, 9 p.m. ET

To say that Argentina have taken years off the lives of their fans this summer is probably putting it lightly. The defending champs breezed through a very weak group, winning all three games by a combined score of 8-1, but the knockout stage has been quite the opposite. Tournament darlings Cape Verde pushed them to the brink, responding to every punch with one just as heavy before an own goal off the arm of a defender pushed Lionel Messi and co. through to the last 16. It seemed as though that was where the title defense would come to an end, staring a 2-0 — should have been 3-0, but I digress — hole in the face with less than 15 minutes to go against Egypt. But, perhaps the most furious comeback in World Cup history saw Christian Romero, Messi and finally Enzo Fernandez reach the back of the net and turn the match, and perhaps the whole tournament, upside down.

To beat the champ, you gotta knock ’em out. (h/t CNN)

The Swiss’ journey to the quarterfinal has been much quieter. They’re almost certainly the most under-the-radar squad left, but that doesn’t mean they’re without quality. We saw that shine through in their penalty shootout victory over Colombia on Tuesday night, where keeper Gregor Kobel delivered a masterpiece to help send his team through. It was by far the top moment this Switzerland side has had this summer; I mean, that distinction isn’t exactly going to a 1-1 draw against Qatar or a breezy 2-0 Round of 32 victory over Algeria.

This feels like the most straightforward of the quarterfinal matchups: Argentina are still a top-5 side in the world even through these ups and downs of the knockout round and should be able to dispatch of this Swiss team. But, this will still be a fight. I can definitely see the Argentines getting off to another hot start — probably supplanted by another Messi goal, extending his all-time record — and holding off a late Switzerland push to get back to the semifinals, where their toughest test by far will await them.

Prediction: Argentina win 2-1

Needless to say, these four games should continue to provide the drama and theatrics that this World Cup just can’t seem to stop giving us.