The top four tournament seeds have successfully navigated their paths to the quarterfinals—but none of them did it easily, News.Az reports, citing Al Jazeera.
As the tournament prepares to cross the threshold of 100 total matches, the remaining heavyweights are staring down a mix of historic rivalries, revenge tours, and staggering individual scoring races.
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1. France vs. MoroccoThe Ultimate RematchWhen: Thursday, 20:00 GMT
Where: Boston, Massachusetts
This is the hotly anticipated sequel to the legendary 2022 semifinal in Qatar, where Morocco’s historic fairytale run was finally ended by the French juggernaut.
Four years ago, a fatigued and injury-depleted Morocco side fell behind in just five minutes, and despite commanding 60% of possession, they couldn’t break the French defense. Today, things look vastly different. Only nine members of that 2022 Moroccan squad made it to the U.S., and new head coach Mohamed Ouahbi has instilled a lethal counterattacking edge, fresh off a clinical 3-0 thrashing of Canada.
France, however, remains the gold standard. Powered by the terrifying attacking quartet of Kylian Mbappé, Michael Olise, Ousmane Dembélé, and Bradley Barcola, Les Bleus have cruised past the likes of Sweden and Paraguay. Morocco’s survival will hinge entirely on goalkeeper Yassine Bounou and a rigid backline holding firm under world-class pressure.
2. Spain vs. BelgiumTesting the History BooksWhen: Friday, 19:00 GMT
Where: Los Angeles, California
It is a minor miracle that Belgium is even here. The Red Devils looked down and out in the group stage after a stale draw with Iran and a 2-0 deficit against Senegal with just four minutes left on the clock. Yet, an extraordinary Romelu Lukaku and Youri Tielemans comeback dragged them into extra time, followed by a 4-1 routing of the USA.
But Belgium’s luck may have run out. Up next is world No. 3 Spain, a team redefining defensive perfection. La Roja have yet to concede a single goal at this World Cup, riding a historic streak of six consecutive tournament clean sheets. Coach Rudi Garcia controversially benched Kevin De Bruyne and Jérémy Doku in the last round to shuffle his deck, but Belgium will need absolute perfection if they hope to breach Spain’s impenetrable wall.
3. Norway vs. EnglandClash of the Golden BootsWhen: Saturday, 21:00 GMT
Where: Miami, Florida
For the first time all tournament, the two greatest pure strikers on Earth will share the same pitch in a high-stakes international elimination match.
Norway’s Erling Haaland has been utterly unstoppable, logging seven goals in just four appearances, maintaining an active streak of scoring in 14 consecutive national team games. He sits just one goal behind Lionel Messi in the overall Golden Boot race.
Right behind him is England’s Harry Kane. The 32-year-old Bayern Munich star single-handedly willed England through the knockout rounds, scoring a crucial brace against the DRC and the winning penalty against co-hosts Mexico. Both born in late July, both three-time Premier League Golden Boot winners, Kane and Haaland have only ever played against each other twice before. This Miami showdown will likely decide who claims the title of the world’s most lethal number nine.
4. Argentina vs. SwitzerlandCan the Champions Avoid the Trap?When: Sunday, 01:00 GMT
Where: Kansas City, Missouri
Defending champions Argentina are surviving on pure adrenaline. Lionel Messi and his squad have endured chaotic back-to-back 3-2 thrillers against Cape Verde and Egypt just to make it to the final eight. Against Egypt, Argentina’s aging roster—the second oldest they’ve ever fielded at a World Cup—looked completely vulnerable to raw pace on the counterattack.
That vulnerability is exactly what Switzerland intends to exploit. Making their first quarterfinal appearance since 1954 after a historic penalty shootout win over Colombia, the Swiss are playing with house money. If speedy 20-year-old winger Johan Manzambi recovers from a minor knee injury to pair with the creative Ruben Vargas, Switzerland has the exact blueprint needed to execute a monumental World Cup upset.
