By Shakeel ur Rehman/Suliman Khan
The FIFA World Cup 2026 has entered a decisive phase, with the race for the coveted trophy intensifying as the knockout stage continues across the United States, Canada and Mexico. Four teams have officially secured their places in the quarter-finals, while the remaining four berths will be decided after the last four Round of 16 encounters.
Former champions France became the first European heavyweight to reach the last eight after edging Paraguay 1-0 in a hard-fought contest. Morocco continued its dream World Cup campaign with an emphatic 3-0 victory over co-hosts Canada, underlining its growing reputation as one of the tournament’s surprise packages.
Norway produced the biggest upset of the Round of 16 by defeating five-time world champions Brazil 2-1 to reach the quarter-finals for the first time in decades. England also advanced after overcoming hosts Mexico 3-2 in one of the most entertaining matches of the knockout stage.
With these results, France, Morocco, Norway and England have officially qualified for the quarter-finals.
However, the Round of 16 is not yet complete. Four crucial knockout matches remain, with Portugal facing Spain, the United States taking on Belgium, Argentina meeting Egypt, and Switzerland playing Colombia. The winners of these matches will complete the eight-team quarter-final lineup.
The quarter-finals are scheduled to begin on 9 July, with France set to face Morocco in the opening last-eight encounter, while Norway will meet England in another high-profile clash. The other two quarter-final fixtures will be confirmed once the remaining Round of 16 matches are completed.
With only sixteen teams remaining reduced to eight over the coming days, the battle for football’s biggest prize is becoming increasingly intense. Every match is now a do-or-die affair as the world’s best nations chase a place in the semi-finals and move one step closer to lifting the FIFA World Cup 2026 trophy.
