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The 2026 World Cup enters the quarterfinal stage this week as the final eight teams face off in matches across the United States.
France and Morocco open the round on Thursday at Gillette Stadium in Boston, kicking off under Argentine referee Facundo Tello. The match is a rematch of the 2022 semifinal in Qatar, when France won 2-0 en route to the final.
France finished first in Group I with 9 points and advanced to the last eight by beating Sweden 3-0 in the round of 32 and Paraguay 1-0 in the round of 16.
Morocco finished second in Group C with 7 points, eliminating the Netherlands 3-2 on penalties in the round of 32 before beating co-host Canada 3-0 in the round of 16.
France's attack includes Kylian Mbappe, Ousmane Dembele, Michael Olise and Bradley Barcola, with Mbappe and Dembele combining for 11 goals so far in the tournament.
Midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni, who has a muscle injury, and Morocco forward Ismael Saibari, also dealing with a muscle injury, remain doubtful for the match.
Morocco reached the semifinals in 2022, becoming the first African team to advance that far in the tournament's history, and is aiming to match or improve on that result four years later under coach Walid Regragui.
Spain recorded a 1-0 win over Portugal on Monday, marking six consecutive World Cup matches without conceding a goal, a first in tournament history.
Coached by Luis de la Fuente, the reigning European champions are unbeaten through six matches this tournament.
Barcelona forward Lamine Yamal has scored once in five games, while Mikel Oyarzabal has scored four times, including twice in a 3-0 win over Austria in the round of 32.
Belgium advanced after a 4-1 win over co-host, the United States, following a 3-2 extra-time win over Senegal in the round of 32, having trailed by two goals.
The quarterfinal between Spain and Belgium takes place in Los Angeles. Kevin De Bruyne and Romelu Lukaku remain part of Belgium's squad, which includes several players from the generation that reached the 2018 semifinals.
England advanced to the quarterfinals after a 3-2 win over co-host Mexico, a match in which England played with 10 men for part of the game following a red card.
Manager Thomas Tuchel's side is aiming to win the tournament for the second time in the country's history, after 1966.
Captain Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham have scored 10 of the team's 11 goals in the tournament, including all three against Mexico.
Norway is led by Erling Haaland, who has scored seven goals so far in the tournament and has scored in each of his last 14 competitive appearances for the national team, totaling 27 goals.
The Manchester City forward is among the tournament's leading scorers ahead of the quarterfinal in Miami.
Argentina advanced to the quarterfinals after two matches decided by narrow margins. The defending champions needed extra time to beat Cape Verde 3-2 in the Round of 32, then came back from a 2-0 deficit against Egypt in the Round of 16, with Lionel Messi involved in the comeback.
Coach Lionel Scaloni's side is seeking a fourth World Cup title.
Switzerland reached the quarterfinals for the first time since hosting the tournament in 1954, beating Colombia on penalties in Vancouver following a goalless draw.
The match between Argentina and Switzerland will be played in Kansas City, with both teams unbeaten in regulation time through the knockout rounds so far.
The four quarterfinal winners will advance to the semifinals, with the two semifinal winners meeting in the final.
All four quarterfinal matches are scheduled to be played this week at stadiums across the United States.
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