2026 FIFA World Cup Update: Quarterfinals and Semifinal Predictions

The Round of 16 for the 2026 FIFA World Cup is in progress, and we’re starting to see how the quarterfinals might shape up.

This means fans can begin to speculate about potential semifinal matchups.

Here’s a look at the quarterfinal pairings, which will be updated once the matches conclude. We’ll also share some thoughts on what we might see in the semifinals.

Now, let’s dive into the World Cup bracket.

2026 World Cup Quarterfinals

Here are the current and potential quarterfinal matchups for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Is the first quarterfinal match already determined? Yes, on Saturday, Morocco secured a 3-0 victory over Canada, while France narrowly beat Paraguay 1-0, thanks to a penalty from Kylian Mbappé.

Interestingly, these two teams faced each other in the semifinals of the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Back then, they met in Qatar, where France took an early lead and continued to maintain control, eventually winning the match comfortably.

Let’s unpack some historical connections here.

Norway made headlines by defeating Brazil 2-1, marking their first-ever advance to the quarterfinals. Erling Haaland notably scored two goals, bringing his total to seven in this tournament.

Norway is set to play England, who battled hard to overcome Mexico with a close 3-2 win to reach the quarterfinals.

The matchup for the third quarterfinal was finalized on Monday.

Spain, one of the tournament favorites, edged out Portugal with a late goal from Mikel Merino. Following this, the USMNT faced a disappointing exit, losing 4-1 to Belgium.

Argentina/Egypt vs. Switzerland/Colombia

The last quarterfinal matchup is set for Tuesday.

Argentina, led by Lionel Messi, aims to return to the semifinals against Egypt’s Mohamed Salah in Atlanta. The winner of this matchup will then face off against whoever prevails in the Tuesday night game between Switzerland and Colombia.

Potential Semifinal Matchups

Let’s take a brief look at possible semifinals.

Match 101: France/Morocco vs. TBD

The left side of the bracket indicates that the winner of the upcoming France and Morocco match will go on to face a team from the lower quadrant—currently, it’s either Spain or Portugal vying for that position.

Match 102: England/Norway vs. TBD

On the right side, the winner of the England vs. Norway game will face a team emerging from the bottom right quadrant, where Argentina, Egypt, Colombia, and Switzerland are all competing.