2026 World Cup Quarterfinal Predictions: Experts Pick Their Winners

2026 World Cup Quarterfinals Preview

The 2026 World Cup has reached its quarterfinal stage with the top eight teams set to battle for a spot in the semifinals. The matches start on Thursday, July 9, featuring some of the tournament's strongest sides.

Matchups and Expert Picks

The first quarterfinal sees France, last tournament's runner-up, face off against Morocco, who finished fourth in 2022. This game takes place in Foxborough, Massachusetts.

• Jon Arnold: France 2-0 Morocco
• Seth Vertelney: France 3-1 Morocco
• Jesse Yomtov: France 2-0 Morocco
• Victoria Hernandez: France 3-1 Morocco

Next, Spain meets Belgium at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California on July 10.

• Jon Arnold: Spain 2-1 Belgium
• Seth Vertelney: Spain 2-1 Belgium
• Jesse Yomtov: Spain 1-0 Belgium
• Victoria Hernandez: Spain 2-1 Belgium

July 11 hosts two games starting with England taking on Norway at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami.

• Jon Arnold: Norway 0-3 England
• Seth Vertelney: Norway 2-1 England
• Jesse Yomtov: Norway 1-2 England (after extra time)
• Victoria Hernandez: Norway 2-3 England

The final quarterfinal match features Argentina playing Switzerland at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City.

• Jon Arnold: Argentina 1-0 Switzerland
• Seth Vertelney: Argentina 2-1 Switzerland
• Jesse Yomtov: Argentina 3-0 Switzerland
• Victoria Hernandez: Argentina 2-1 Switzerland

Upcoming Semifinals and Final

Winners from these encounters will move forward to the semifinals scheduled for July 14 and 15. The championship match is set for July 19 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

Memorable Moments From Earlier Matches

The tournament so far has produced standout performances, including Folarin Balogun scoring multiple goals for the United States during their group stage victory over Paraguay at Los Angeles Stadium. Also notable was Giovanni Reyna contributing with key goals as the U.S. made a strong showing.