World Cup Quarterfinal Teams & Predictions: July 10

The second Quarterfinal Round match between Spain and Belgium on Friday, July 10 sets up as a classic in contrasting styles. Spain entered the World Cup as the betting favorite but has been overtaken by a dominant French squad. Still the Spaniards have been one of the best following their opening group stage draw with Cape Verde. Spain is listed as a -158 favorite, while Belgium is +468 and the regulation draw is +297 with a total of 2.5.

The complete field for the World Cup Quarterfinals 2026 is set with defending champions Argentina using a historic comeback to keep their hopes of a repeat alive. Lionel Messi ignited the comeback with a goal in his ninth straight World Cup match sending his squad to a 3-2 victory. Messi enters the quarterfinals as the betting favorite to win the tournament’s Golden Boot award at odds of -110.

The race for the Golden Boot will be just as compelling as the matches to the final. Lionel Messi tallied his eighth of the tournament and has one more than Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland. England’s Harry Kane has scored six times. The common theme is that the best strikers in the game lead to team success.

What to Expect From the World Cup Quarterfinals 2026

As the field narrows to the final eight, the Quarterfinal Round of the FIFA World Cup 2026 will feature intense, high-stakes matchups between the best international soccer clubs along with top individual players. By this point in the tournament the pretenders have been weeded out leaving only the genuine title contenders.

In the history of the World Cup only eight countries have emerged as winners, with six of those victorious on multiple occasions. The previous two World Cup champions are still alive with France reaching the Quarterfinals and Argentina a win away from doing the same.

Why the Quarterfinals Often Produce Tournament-Defining Moments

• This is the exact spot where tournament-defining moments are produced with tactical caution intersecting with desperation.
• Players and coaches face extreme physiological and mental fatigue with the weight of a country riding on their outcome.
• Survival instinct kicks in for losing teams forced to abandon defensive structure.
• At this stage of the tournament the best soccer clubs in the world collide leaving no room for error.

How the Expanded 2026 Format Shapes the Final Eight

• Expanding the field for the FIFA World Cup 2026 required an additional knockout stage round meaning teams that reached the Quarterfinals will have played one more match than in previous tournaments.
• Teams with deeper rosters will be rewarded for navigating the physical demands of an extra knockout stage match.
• The increased volume means players entering the Quarterfinals face the physical demands of playing more games in a shorter window.

World Cup Quarterfinal Teams: Who Reached the Last Eight?

The next knockout stage is set with Argentina and Switzerland joining the group following dramatic wins in the last Round of 16 games. Those teams will meet on Saturday, July 11 with a trip to the semifinals on the line. Argentina overturned a 2-goal deficit late in their match against Egypt with Messi leveling the score in the 83rd minute and Enzo Fernandez netting the winner in stoppage time. Switzerland upset Colombia in the shootout.

France reached the final eight beating Paraguay 1-0 behind Kylian Mbappe’s 19th career World Cup goal. Entering as the World Cup betting favorite to win the tournament, France plays Morocco in a rematch of their 2022 World Cup semifinal clash.

Belgium extinguished the hopes of the United States with a clinical 4-1 victory in the Round of 16 and will face Spain in a quarterfinal tilt. The Spaniards have been impenetrable not conceding a goal in the tournament after bouncing Portugal and Cristiano Ronaldo 1-0.

Norway shocked most soccer fans by beating five-time World Cup champion Brazil, 2-1, in the previous round. Driven by the heroics of Erling Haaland, who has scored seven goals in four matches, Norway has another difficult task of taking out England. The best players on the England roster stepped up in a tense 3-2 decision over Mexico. Jude Bellingham scored twice and Harry Kane once propelling England to a third straight quarterfinal appearance.

Surprise Contenders Still in the Hunt

• Norway, Morocco and Switzerland are the surprise teams that have reached the Quarterfinal Round.
• Norway reached the quarterfinals for the first time in history beating powerhouse Brazil in the Round of 16.
• Their trip to the semifinals in the 2022 World Cup was seen as an outlier, but Morocco is back in the quarterfinals following a comfortable 3-0 win over Canada.

Traditional Powerhouses Chasing the Trophy

• Spain entered World Cup 2026 as the betting favorite and remains as one of the top choices.
• Defending champion Argentina has been resilient, reaching the quarterfinals with consecutive 3-2 wins in their first two knockout stage matches.
• France has been dominant, outscoring opponents 14-2.
• England is also among the favorites to win the World Cup for the first time since 1966. Their win in Mexico City while surviving down a player was one of England’s best.

Breaking Down the World Cup Quarterfinal Matchups

Two of the teams in the quarterfinal round without a leading striker will compete in the second quarterfinal round match on Friday, July 10 when Spain faces Belgium. The second futures odds favorite to win the World Cup, Spain might be the most complete team remaining. Spain has yet to concede a goal in the tournament and will look to slow an in-form Belgium group that routed the United States 4-1 and has scored 12 times in its last three games.

Spain is a fortress in front of their net having not conceded a goal in five matches. They secured their spot in the last eight with a dramatic 90th minute winner by Mikel Merino to eliminate Portugal and Cristiano Ronaldo, 1-0. Spain opened as the favorite at -157 with Belgium at +466 and a draw at +296 on the 3-way moneyline. In the To Advance market Spain is priced at -345 and Belgium at +285.

Belgium beat the U.S. 4-1 in the previous round and has scored 12 goals in the last three matches. Charles DeKetelaere had a first half brace against the Americans and leads the lethal attack. However, Belgium remains vulnerable on the back end having allowed goals in those last three games. The match is scheduled to kick off at 3 p.m. ET from SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif.

Most Competitive Quarterfinal Pairings

• Based on betting volume and implicit odds the matchup between Norway and England is tracking as the most competitive of the confirmed World Cup quarterfinal matchups.
• Both clubs are coming off momentum-building wins with England the slight favorite with a 52 percent win probability.
• Elite strikers Erling Haaland and Harry Kane are in peak form making this match tight and intriguing.

Matchups That Could Define the Tournament

• Four of the top six favorites on the World Cup championship futures odds entering the tournament – France, Spain, England and Argentina – are competing with any of them changing the direction of the tournament with a loss.
• Morocco beating France breaks the bracket open with the overall favorite eliminated.

World Cup Quarterfinal Odds: How the Betting Markets Compare

France is the consensus favorite across sportsbooks and prediction markets to win the FIFA World Cup 2026 with a roughly 33 percent implied probability. That also means France is the biggest betting odds favorite in the four Quarterfinal Round matchups. France is -174 on the 3-way moneyline and -400 to advance.

The 3-way moneyline odds are based on the outcome after 90 minutes plus stoppage with a draw a potential result. The longer odds for France to advance is the result of the match after extra time and, if needed, a penalty shootout.

Spain (-160) is also heavily favored to beat Belgium (+470) with a draw at +300 on the 3-way moneyline. Spain is -325 to advance with Belgium at +270 for the upset. Following their Round of 16 victories, Argentina (-138) is favored on the 3-way moneyline over Switzerland (+464) with a draw at +252.

The tightest predicted match has England (-116) favored to beat Norway (+325) with a draw at +273 on the 3-way moneyline. England is priced at -212 and Norway at +181 in the To Advance market.

Favorites to Advance to the Semifinals

• We covered pricing above and the current soccer odds are available.
• France is the biggest favorite on the board to advance to the semifinals with Spain also heavily favored to defeat Belgium.
• They are playing with fire, but Argentina advanced to the Quarterfinal Round and is a -138 favorite to beat Switzerland.

Underdogs Offering Betting Value

• Targeted as a dark horse contender before the World Cup, Norway continues to impress while offering plenty of value.
• Norway has shot up the odds board and is around +1600 in the championship futures odds market.
• The best striker in the sport Erling Haaland can carry his squad past the powerhouses in tight tournament matches.

World Cup Quarterfinal Predictions and Best Betting Angles

With the best teams surviving the matches tend to get tighter and more intense as the tournament progresses. The top four countries and six of the top eight in the most recent official FIFA world rankings are competing in the quarterfinals with France, Spain, Argentina and England all decided favorites to advance to the semifinals.

France boasts a deep roster outscoring opponents 14-2 with Mbappe leading the way. Their lethal frontline can break down Morocco’s stiff low block while possessing the ball prevents the Moroccans from quick counter attacks. France’s strong midfield play gives them a tactical advantage with our World Cup Quarterfinals predictions giving them a win in regulation time.

England is favored but Norway poses a massive threat against a vulnerable defense. This is predicted to be the most entertaining quarterfinal match after frantic wins in the previous round. Norway upset Brazil getting a brace from Haaland and England won in a hostile environment over Mexico. Both clubs should find the back of the net making the Both Teams to Score wager a safe World Cup Quarterfinals prediction.

Historical Quarterfinal Trends Worth Tracking

• As the tournament winds down to the final eight teams, more cautious play overrides aggression that we saw at times during group play.
• Even with the most talented goal scorers in the game we tend to see a decrease in the overall number of markers and an increase in one-goal margins.
• Around 80 percent of all historical quarterfinal matches are decided by a single goal or go to a penalty kick shootout.

Markets Beyond the Match Winner

• The players who score goals in the quarterfinals are the ones that get paid to do it.
• With the best strikers in the world on display in the quarterfinals of the World Cup 2026 targeting player props is a strong move.
• Not only have Kylian Mbappe, Erling Haaland, Harry Kane and Lionel Messi scored goals, they’ve done it at a blinding pace.
• You can back any one of these guys for an anytime goal and have an outstanding chance of cashing a winning ticket.

World Cup Quarterfinal Dates and Road to the Semifinals

While most of the teams are locked in, the World Cup Quarterfinal dates are all confirmed. The final eight starts on Thursday, July 9 and concludes with a pair of matches on Saturday July 11. The winners of the first two matches will meet in one semifinal on Tuesday, July 14 at AT&T Stadium. Saturday’s winners face off in the second semifinal on Wednesday, July 15 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.