The World Cup has been reduced to eight teams, and the quarterfinals, which begin on Thursday, are expected to feature clashes between heavyweights. All matches will take place in the United States.
France versus Morocco
France lived up to the expectations of the tournament favorite, successfully passing the group stage and defeating Sweden, before beating Paraguay in the Round of 16. It is hard to imagine that Didier Deschamps' team cannot handle the French attack, which includes Kylian Mbappé, Ousmane Dembélé, Bradley Barcola, and creative Michael Olise.
However, undefeated Morocco will not be intimidated by a meeting with the two-time world champions. The North African team defeated the Netherlands in a penalty shootout and crushed co-host Canada 3-0 in the last Round of 16. In Boston, the Moroccans aim to avenge their defeat to France in the semi-final four years ago in Qatar. The Atlas Lions have made history by becoming the first African team to reach the final in 2022 and intend to repeat this feat.
Spain versus Belgium
Spain became the first team in the tournament's history to record six consecutive clean sheets in the World Cup, after defeating Portugal 1-0 on Monday. The European champions under Luis de la Fuente are characterized by high efficiency and confident ball play, although they do not always entertain the spectators.
Barcelona star Lamine Yamal scored only one goal in five matches, but Mikel Oyarzabal notched four goals, including two in the 3-0 victory over Austria in the 32nd round. Belgium enters the match in Los Angeles after a convincing 4-1 victory over co-host the United States. This win followed their ability to recover a two-goal deficit in the 32nd round, beating Senegal 3-2 in extra time. The tournament is likely to be the last major appearance of this nation's so-called 'Golden Generation', including Kevin De Bruyne and Romelu Lukaku, who will strive to end their careers at a high level.
Norway versus England
English defenders are accustomed to facing Norwegian prodigy Erling Haaland in the Premier League, but the ability to counter him remains a question. Thomas Tuchel's team arrived in the United States as favorites for a second tournament victory in history.
Captain Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham have been outstanding players, scoring 10 of the team's 11 goals, including all three in the tense 3-2 victory over Mexico. England, playing with ten men, managed to overcome the co-hosts, boosting their confidence before the match against Norway. However, they face a team in Miami led by the unstoppable Haaland, who has scored seven goals and is chasing the Golden Boot. The Manchester City player has scored in each of his last 14 official matches for Norway—a total of 27 goals—and will surely cause problems for England's unstable defense.
Argentina versus Switzerland
Lionel Messi's Argentina went through two serious tests to reach the quarter-finals against Switzerland. The defending champions were pushed into extra time by debutants from Cape Verde, before winning 3-2. Then, in the Round of 16, they looked subdued, losing 2-0 to Egypt, but staged a spectacular comeback centered around Messi.
Head coach Lionel Scaloni knows that it will be difficult for his team to continue taking risks in pursuit of a fourth World Cup title, but they have proven that they cannot be underestimated. Now they will meet Switzerland in Kansas City. Switzerland beat Colombia in a penalty shootout in Vancouver after a goalless draw. Switzerland enters the tournament's eight-team stage for the first time since hosting the tournament in its own country in 1954 and represents a well-organized team that will be difficult to break down.