World Cup quarterfinals set: France-Morocco rematch, Spain-Belgium clash in last eight

The last eight

Six European teams, one African, and one South American nation remain. France, Spain, Belgium, Norway, England, and Switzerland represent Europe, while Morocco and Argentina complete the quarterfinal field. The round runs from Thursday July 9 to Saturday July 11.

France-Morocco: a semifinal rematch

The quarterfinals open Thursday at 4 p.m. ET at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, with a replay of the 2022 World Cup semifinal. France won that encounter 2-0, and Kylian Mbappé, now with 7 goals in the tournament, chases the all-time scoring title. Morocco, having reached this stage again, gets a shot at redemption.

Spain's watertight defense faces Belgium's firepower

Friday's match at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles pits the defending European champion Spain against the high-scoring Belgian side. Spain has yet to concede a goal through five matches, Unai Simón and company kept clean sheets against Cape Verde, Saudi Arabia, Uruguay, Austria, and Portugal. Belgium, however, scored four goals against the United States in the round of 16 and has 13 goals total. Kickoff is at 3 p.m. ET.

Saturday doubleheader: Norway-England and Argentina-Switzerland

Saturday's action starts at 5 p.m. ET in Miami, where Erling Haaland's Norway take on Harry Kane and England. Norway upset Brazil 2-1 in the previous round, while England edged Mexico 3-2 in a dramatic match at the Azteca. Later, at 9 p.m. ET in Kansas City, defending champion Argentina, led by Lionel Messi and his tournament-leading 8 goals, square off against Switzerland, who advanced by beating Colombia on penalties in extra time. Both matches could hinge on the star forwards.

Golden Boot tracker

Lionel Messi sits atop the scoring chart with 8 goals. Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappé are tied at 7, while Harry Kane has scored 6. The race remains tight with two more rounds after the quarterfinals.