The least glamorous of the remaining teams. They lack a superstar. Their lone striker against Colombia, Breel Embolo, plays for Rennes, who finished sixth in Ligue 1 last season. Augsburg’s Fabian Rieder and Ardon Jashari – who joined Milan from Club Brugge last summer, but has only made 14 Serie A appearances since – are not names many Irish readers will be too familiar with either. Meanwhile, Dan Ndoye has not exactly set the Premier League alight since joining Nottingham Forest from Bologna last July, scoring one goal in 24 top-flight appearances. And their starting left-back, Ricardo Rodriguez, is a free agent after leaving Real Betis at the end of the club season. Yet the team does possess strong leaders such as Sunderland’s Granit Xhaka and Manuel Akanji, formerly of Man City and now at Inter Milan. Murat Yakin’s side came through their group comfortably, topping it on seven points. They also beat Algeria convincingly in the round of 32, but looked a little toothless in the 0-0 round-of-16 draw with Colombia before prevailing on spot kicks. Switzerland’s record against Argentina, though, does not bode well ahead of the upcoming quarter-final. In seven matches, they have lost five and drawn two, including defeats in both the 1966 and 2014 World Cups. But they have already frustrated one South American side with their diligence and defensive organisation, so it would not necessarily be a huge shock if they could repeat that feat, especially given their impressive recent track record against top-tier nations, knocking out France and Italy at the last two Euros.
7. Belgium
Alamy Stock Photo
Alamy Stock Photo
One of the more unlikely quarter-finalists. For much of this tournament, Belgium looked a shadow of the side that finished third at the 2018 World Cup. In fact, one of the big problems was that some of that team, such as Romelu Lukaku and Kevin De Bruyne, are still around while being well past their best. The Belgians were largely uninspired in the group stages, drawing 1-1 with Egypt and 0-0 against Iran before hammering New Zealand 5-1. The Red Devils were particularly lucky in the round of 32. They were 2-0 down until the 86th minute, having been outplayed by Senegal, before staging a dramatic late comeback and winning with a 125th-minute Youri Tielemans goal in extra time. The emphatic 4-1 win over the US in the quarter-finals was easily their best performance so far. Unlike some other coaches at the tournament, Rudi Garcia has been ruthless in his treatment of star players. Lukaku, De Bruyne and Jérémy Doku all started on the bench in Seattle, and the team looked more cohesive as a result. One of their less well-known names, Charles De Ketelaere of Atalanta, stepped up with a brace against Mauricio Pochettino’s men. Though the influence of the old guard cannot be dismissed either. Despite only starting one of their five games, Lukaku is his country’s top scorer at this tournament with three goals.
6. Norway
Alamy Stock Photo
Alamy Stock Photo
Probably the biggest surprise package of this World Cup, especially as their last appearance at the tournament was 1998. They earned an impressive 2-1 win over the Ivory Coast in the round of 32, and a stunning upset saw them beat Brazil in the last 16. Unlike many of the teams at the tournament, Norway are playing without the pressure of great expectations. Whatever happens from this point onwards, it is already their greatest achievement in World Cup history and everything else is a bonus. In their three previous appearances at the tournament, they never got beyond the round of 16. With seven goals from four games, Erling Haaland is a big reason for their unprecedented success. The Man City star’s two lethal finishes against Brazil were phenomenal to watch, and the 25-year-old’s performance will likely be remembered as one of the great individual World Cup displays. With three assists, Arsenal’s Martin Odegaard has also had a decent tournament. Yet just as important to Norway’s success have been the displays of the less high-profile players. 35-year-old goalkeeper Ørjan Nyland, who was Sevilla’s number two last season and is currently unattached, was excellent in the Brazil win. Bodø/Glimt’s Patrick Berg, one of four home-based players in the squad, has also put in some commendable displays. Benfica’s Andreas Schjelderup, after coming on in the second half, changed the game against Brazil, providing the assists for both goals. Defence is probably their biggest weakness – they rashly gave away two penalties against Carlo Ancelotti’s men. And they will again be underdogs when they face England. But with Haaland in this type of form, anything seems possible.
5. Morocco
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Alamy Stock Photo
Alamy Stock Photo
Morocco were impressive in drawing with Brazil in the group stages and knocking out the Netherlands on penalties in the round of 32. By contrast, the 3-0 victory over Canada was not as convincing as the scoreline suggests. The latter’s coach Jessie Marsch went so far as to say “we were better than them,” and while that may be the type of exaggeration losing managers are prone to, the African side only finished the game with a marginally better xG than the co-hosts. Canada had played the better football before their opponents opened the scoring in the 50th minute, and it was only in the last 10 minutes that Mohamed Ouahbi’s men put the victory beyond doubt. PSG’s Achraf Hakimi, Man United’s Noussair Mazraoui, Real Madrid’s Brahim Díaz and Ismael Saibari – who joined Bayern Munich at the beginning of the month for a reported €50 million fee – are among the headline acts in this team. But with two brilliantly taken goals, midfielder Azzedine Ounahi – who plays with Girona, recently relegated to the Spanish second tier – was the obvious standout in their last-16 clash. You suspect France will have too much for them, but as the Canada match illustrated, the 2022 World Cup semi-finalists often seem more comfortable going into games as underdogs with everyone expecting them to lose.
4. Argentina
Alamy Stock Photo
Alamy Stock Photo
One of the characteristics of Argentina’s 2022 World Cup triumph was that their progress was rarely straightforward and often chaotic. They lost their opening fixture to Saudi Arabia and needed to prevail twice on penalties in the knockout stages. So far, it has been a similar story in 2026. They required a 111th-minute winner for their nervy 3-2 extra-time win over Cape Verde, while their victory against Egypt was even more dramatic. Until the 79th minute, they were 2-0 down and looked to be heading out of the competition. Not for the first time, Lionel Messi was key to salvaging the situation, registering a goal and assist in the dying stages and taking his overall tally for the tournament to eight. They are far from a one-man team, though – the likes of Cristian Romero, Lisandro Martínez, Alexis Mac Allister, Enzo Fernández and Julián Álvarez are top-class footballers. But the two knockout games have highlighted Argentina’s limitations elsewhere. The likes of Leandro Paredes of Boca Juniors and Inter Miami’s Rodrigo De Paul are honest, workmanlike players. Both are aged 32 and have 81 and 91 caps respectively, but they would get nowhere near the France, Spain or England starting XIs. Defensively, Argentina are also very vulnerable and prone to quick counter-attacks. Lionel Scaloni’s side dominated both Cape Verde and Egypt for long spells, but on the rare occasions the two African countries ventured forward, they invariably looked like scoring. You suspect better teams will be more proficient at punishing the World Cup holders.
3. England
Alamy Stock Photo
Alamy Stock Photo
Neither of their knockout matches were entirely convincing. England trailed for 74 minutes against DR Congo before Harry Kane’s brace got them out of jail. They also rode their luck against Mexico – the co-hosts finished the game with a higher xG and failed to make the most of having a man advantage from the 54th minute on. But in Kane and Jude Bellingham, they have two world-class attackers looking as strong as they ever have in tournament football. Their wingers have been less influential, but Bukayo Saka and Anthony Gordon both produced their best games of the tournament so far in Estadio Azteca. Declan Rice and Elliot Anderson have provided solidity in midfield. And although their defence has looked ropey at times, they showed impressive resilience to keep Mexico at bay in the intense finale of Monday’s game. But crucially, England have the most accomplished coach working in international football. With former manager Gareth Southgate, at times there was a sense that he was pandering to individuals within the squad and caving to popular demand on team selections, resulting in a side that was regularly less than the sum of its parts and lacking fluency. Thomas Tuchel, on the other hand, seems more single-minded. The German has not been afraid to leave underperforming stars like Cole Palmer, Phil Foden and Trent Alexander-Arnold at home. His tactics against Mexico were impeccable, wisely introducing Dan Burn and reverting to a five-man defence in the second half to see out the hard-fought victory. With three domestic titles and a Champions League trophy to his name, the 52-year-old also has the CV to back up his predilection for bold decisions.
2. Spain
Alamy Stock Photo
Alamy Stock Photo
It is already Spain’s best World Cup performance since 2010. Until this tournament, La Roja had failed to win a single knockout match in the intervening period. With players like Pedri, Rodri, Dani Olmo, Gavi, Mikel Merino, Fabián Ruiz and Martín Zubimendi, no country has greater midfield depth than Luis de la Fuente’s side. Their full-backs, Pedro Porro and Marc Cucurella, have also impressed, and though there are more impressive centre-back pairings out there than Aymeric Laporte and Pau Cubarsí, the team have yet to concede a single goal on their run to the quarter-finals. The biggest question marks are in attack. Their two most important players in the Euro 2024 triumph, Nico Williams and Lamine Yamal, are not 100% fit. Williams has barely played any minutes – he was an unused sub against Portugal. Yamal, though he had some positive moments, has looked well below his resplendent best. Nonetheless, some lesser lights have stepped up. Although he had a poor game on Monday, Real Sociedad’s Mikel Oyarzabal has had a good tournament, scoring four goals. And it was three substitutes – Fabián Ruiz, Ferran Torres and Mikel Merino – who combined for the brilliantly worked winning goal against Roberto Martinez’s men. France have the better individual attacking talent, undoubtedly, but Spain might be the stronger team.
1. France
Alamy Stock Photo
Alamy Stock Photo
France have easily the most formidable attack of the teams left in the competition. Nonetheless, a limited Paraguay side had some success stifling them, even if that performance encompassed relentless underhand tactics and deeply cynical play. Kylian Mbappé scored the winner in that game with a 70th-minute goal from the penalty spot and looks in ominous form. It was the Real Madrid striker’s seventh goal of the competition, and he remains firmly in the Golden Boot race, one behind the top scorer, his former PSG teammate Messi. Morocco in the quarters should prove similarly stubborn, and they have better players than Paraguay, so an upset is not inconceivable. Les Bleus’ defence has occasionally looked vulnerable, despite boasting two of the best central defenders in the competition – Arsenal’s William Saliba and Bayern Munich’s Dayot Upamecano. Their midfield of AC Milan’s Adrien Rabiot and Roma’s Manu Koné is weaker than the equivalents for fellow contenders Spain and England. And while Mbappé, along with fellow attackers Ousmane Dembélé and Michael Olise, are among the first names on the teamsheet, there is uncertainty over the left-wing slot - Desire Doué replaced the ineffectual Bradley Barcola after 60 minutes against Gustavo Alfaro’s side and proceeded to win a penalty, so it would be no surprise to see the 21-year-old PSG player start on Thursday. But despite these minor issues, France remain the favourites to triumph. Arguably no international team has made greater progress in the 21st century. Before triumphing in 1998, they had never got beyond the semis at the World Cup and failed to qualify on six occasions. Since then, they have appeared in three out of six finals.
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World Cup quarter-final fixtures (Irish kick-off times in brackets):
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Power ranking the 8 remaining teams at the 2026 World Cup
8. Switzerland
The least glamorous of the remaining teams. They lack a superstar. Their lone striker against Colombia, Breel Embolo, plays for Rennes, who finished sixth in Ligue 1 last season. Augsburg’s Fabian Rieder and Ardon Jashari – who joined Milan from Club Brugge last summer, but has only made 14 Serie A appearances since – are not names many Irish readers will be too familiar with either. Meanwhile, Dan Ndoye has not exactly set the Premier League alight since joining Nottingham Forest from Bologna last July, scoring one goal in 24 top-flight appearances. And their starting left-back, Ricardo Rodriguez, is a free agent after leaving Real Betis at the end of the club season. Yet the team does possess strong leaders such as Sunderland’s Granit Xhaka and Manuel Akanji, formerly of Man City and now at Inter Milan. Murat Yakin’s side came through their group comfortably, topping it on seven points. They also beat Algeria convincingly in the round of 32, but looked a little toothless in the 0-0 round-of-16 draw with Colombia before prevailing on spot kicks. Switzerland’s record against Argentina, though, does not bode well ahead of the upcoming quarter-final. In seven matches, they have lost five and drawn two, including defeats in both the 1966 and 2014 World Cups. But they have already frustrated one South American side with their diligence and defensive organisation, so it would not necessarily be a huge shock if they could repeat that feat, especially given their impressive recent track record against top-tier nations, knocking out France and Italy at the last two Euros.
7. Belgium
One of the more unlikely quarter-finalists. For much of this tournament, Belgium looked a shadow of the side that finished third at the 2018 World Cup. In fact, one of the big problems was that some of that team, such as Romelu Lukaku and Kevin De Bruyne, are still around while being well past their best. The Belgians were largely uninspired in the group stages, drawing 1-1 with Egypt and 0-0 against Iran before hammering New Zealand 5-1. The Red Devils were particularly lucky in the round of 32. They were 2-0 down until the 86th minute, having been outplayed by Senegal, before staging a dramatic late comeback and winning with a 125th-minute Youri Tielemans goal in extra time. The emphatic 4-1 win over the US in the quarter-finals was easily their best performance so far. Unlike some other coaches at the tournament, Rudi Garcia has been ruthless in his treatment of star players. Lukaku, De Bruyne and Jérémy Doku all started on the bench in Seattle, and the team looked more cohesive as a result. One of their less well-known names, Charles De Ketelaere of Atalanta, stepped up with a brace against Mauricio Pochettino’s men. Though the influence of the old guard cannot be dismissed either. Despite only starting one of their five games, Lukaku is his country’s top scorer at this tournament with three goals.
6. Norway
Probably the biggest surprise package of this World Cup, especially as their last appearance at the tournament was 1998. They earned an impressive 2-1 win over the Ivory Coast in the round of 32, and a stunning upset saw them beat Brazil in the last 16. Unlike many of the teams at the tournament, Norway are playing without the pressure of great expectations. Whatever happens from this point onwards, it is already their greatest achievement in World Cup history and everything else is a bonus. In their three previous appearances at the tournament, they never got beyond the round of 16. With seven goals from four games, Erling Haaland is a big reason for their unprecedented success. The Man City star’s two lethal finishes against Brazil were phenomenal to watch, and the 25-year-old’s performance will likely be remembered as one of the great individual World Cup displays. With three assists, Arsenal’s Martin Odegaard has also had a decent tournament. Yet just as important to Norway’s success have been the displays of the less high-profile players. 35-year-old goalkeeper Ørjan Nyland, who was Sevilla’s number two last season and is currently unattached, was excellent in the Brazil win. Bodø/Glimt’s Patrick Berg, one of four home-based players in the squad, has also put in some commendable displays. Benfica’s Andreas Schjelderup, after coming on in the second half, changed the game against Brazil, providing the assists for both goals. Defence is probably their biggest weakness – they rashly gave away two penalties against Carlo Ancelotti’s men. And they will again be underdogs when they face England. But with Haaland in this type of form, anything seems possible.
5. Morocco
Morocco were impressive in drawing with Brazil in the group stages and knocking out the Netherlands on penalties in the round of 32. By contrast, the 3-0 victory over Canada was not as convincing as the scoreline suggests. The latter’s coach Jessie Marsch went so far as to say “we were better than them,” and while that may be the type of exaggeration losing managers are prone to, the African side only finished the game with a marginally better xG than the co-hosts. Canada had played the better football before their opponents opened the scoring in the 50th minute, and it was only in the last 10 minutes that Mohamed Ouahbi’s men put the victory beyond doubt. PSG’s Achraf Hakimi, Man United’s Noussair Mazraoui, Real Madrid’s Brahim Díaz and Ismael Saibari – who joined Bayern Munich at the beginning of the month for a reported €50 million fee – are among the headline acts in this team. But with two brilliantly taken goals, midfielder Azzedine Ounahi – who plays with Girona, recently relegated to the Spanish second tier – was the obvious standout in their last-16 clash. You suspect France will have too much for them, but as the Canada match illustrated, the 2022 World Cup semi-finalists often seem more comfortable going into games as underdogs with everyone expecting them to lose.
4. Argentina
One of the characteristics of Argentina’s 2022 World Cup triumph was that their progress was rarely straightforward and often chaotic. They lost their opening fixture to Saudi Arabia and needed to prevail twice on penalties in the knockout stages. So far, it has been a similar story in 2026. They required a 111th-minute winner for their nervy 3-2 extra-time win over Cape Verde, while their victory against Egypt was even more dramatic. Until the 79th minute, they were 2-0 down and looked to be heading out of the competition. Not for the first time, Lionel Messi was key to salvaging the situation, registering a goal and assist in the dying stages and taking his overall tally for the tournament to eight. They are far from a one-man team, though – the likes of Cristian Romero, Lisandro Martínez, Alexis Mac Allister, Enzo Fernández and Julián Álvarez are top-class footballers. But the two knockout games have highlighted Argentina’s limitations elsewhere. The likes of Leandro Paredes of Boca Juniors and Inter Miami’s Rodrigo De Paul are honest, workmanlike players. Both are aged 32 and have 81 and 91 caps respectively, but they would get nowhere near the France, Spain or England starting XIs. Defensively, Argentina are also very vulnerable and prone to quick counter-attacks. Lionel Scaloni’s side dominated both Cape Verde and Egypt for long spells, but on the rare occasions the two African countries ventured forward, they invariably looked like scoring. You suspect better teams will be more proficient at punishing the World Cup holders.
3. England
Neither of their knockout matches were entirely convincing. England trailed for 74 minutes against DR Congo before Harry Kane’s brace got them out of jail. They also rode their luck against Mexico – the co-hosts finished the game with a higher xG and failed to make the most of having a man advantage from the 54th minute on. But in Kane and Jude Bellingham, they have two world-class attackers looking as strong as they ever have in tournament football. Their wingers have been less influential, but Bukayo Saka and Anthony Gordon both produced their best games of the tournament so far in Estadio Azteca. Declan Rice and Elliot Anderson have provided solidity in midfield. And although their defence has looked ropey at times, they showed impressive resilience to keep Mexico at bay in the intense finale of Monday’s game. But crucially, England have the most accomplished coach working in international football. With former manager Gareth Southgate, at times there was a sense that he was pandering to individuals within the squad and caving to popular demand on team selections, resulting in a side that was regularly less than the sum of its parts and lacking fluency. Thomas Tuchel, on the other hand, seems more single-minded. The German has not been afraid to leave underperforming stars like Cole Palmer, Phil Foden and Trent Alexander-Arnold at home. His tactics against Mexico were impeccable, wisely introducing Dan Burn and reverting to a five-man defence in the second half to see out the hard-fought victory. With three domestic titles and a Champions League trophy to his name, the 52-year-old also has the CV to back up his predilection for bold decisions.
2. Spain
It is already Spain’s best World Cup performance since 2010. Until this tournament, La Roja had failed to win a single knockout match in the intervening period. With players like Pedri, Rodri, Dani Olmo, Gavi, Mikel Merino, Fabián Ruiz and Martín Zubimendi, no country has greater midfield depth than Luis de la Fuente’s side. Their full-backs, Pedro Porro and Marc Cucurella, have also impressed, and though there are more impressive centre-back pairings out there than Aymeric Laporte and Pau Cubarsí, the team have yet to concede a single goal on their run to the quarter-finals. The biggest question marks are in attack. Their two most important players in the Euro 2024 triumph, Nico Williams and Lamine Yamal, are not 100% fit. Williams has barely played any minutes – he was an unused sub against Portugal. Yamal, though he had some positive moments, has looked well below his resplendent best. Nonetheless, some lesser lights have stepped up. Although he had a poor game on Monday, Real Sociedad’s Mikel Oyarzabal has had a good tournament, scoring four goals. And it was three substitutes – Fabián Ruiz, Ferran Torres and Mikel Merino – who combined for the brilliantly worked winning goal against Roberto Martinez’s men. France have the better individual attacking talent, undoubtedly, but Spain might be the stronger team.
1. France
France have easily the most formidable attack of the teams left in the competition. Nonetheless, a limited Paraguay side had some success stifling them, even if that performance encompassed relentless underhand tactics and deeply cynical play. Kylian Mbappé scored the winner in that game with a 70th-minute goal from the penalty spot and looks in ominous form. It was the Real Madrid striker’s seventh goal of the competition, and he remains firmly in the Golden Boot race, one behind the top scorer, his former PSG teammate Messi. Morocco in the quarters should prove similarly stubborn, and they have better players than Paraguay, so an upset is not inconceivable. Les Bleus’ defence has occasionally looked vulnerable, despite boasting two of the best central defenders in the competition – Arsenal’s William Saliba and Bayern Munich’s Dayot Upamecano. Their midfield of AC Milan’s Adrien Rabiot and Roma’s Manu Koné is weaker than the equivalents for fellow contenders Spain and England. And while Mbappé, along with fellow attackers Ousmane Dembélé and Michael Olise, are among the first names on the teamsheet, there is uncertainty over the left-wing slot - Desire Doué replaced the ineffectual Bradley Barcola after 60 minutes against Gustavo Alfaro’s side and proceeded to win a penalty, so it would be no surprise to see the 21-year-old PSG player start on Thursday. But despite these minor issues, France remain the favourites to triumph. Arguably no international team has made greater progress in the 21st century. Before triumphing in 1998, they had never got beyond the semis at the World Cup and failed to qualify on six occasions. Since then, they have appeared in three out of six finals.
World Cup quarter-final fixtures (Irish kick-off times in brackets):
Thursday 9 July
Friday 10 July
Saturday 11 July
Sunday 12 July
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2026 world cup Contenders Quarter finals Soccer Argentina England France