Skip to content
Dragos writes

World Cup 2026 Quarters Preview

3 min read

My take on the quarterfinalists

  • France have been the best team by far, out of the toughest group in the tournament. Comfortable win over Sweden in the last 32, then a scrappy 1-0 over Paraguay from a penalty, which doesn’t change my opinion at all. The best team here, full stop.
  • Spain have been all right, and on paper they probably just edge above Argentina for who I’d back to win it. They didn’t force it much, but the 1-0 over Portugal showed real quality even if it wasn’t fun to watch. I’m hoping they show us something more expansive from here.
  • Argentina have been the most watchable team in the tournament. Messi has been incredible, way better than I expected, and their knockout games against Cape Verde and Egypt were the two best matches of the World Cup so far. They’ve been a bit less convincing in the knockouts than the group, winning in tense bursts under pressure. On paper Spain edge them, but my gut says Argentina would edge Spain head to head.
  • England are a comfortable fourth. They play to the level of their opposition, up for the Croatia game, flat against the low blocks. But the 3-2 over Mexico, at altitude, down to 10 men, was a proper result and showed they turn up for the big ones. Not as solid as France, more in the Spain/Argentina bracket for ups and downs.
  • Norway have had an insane run and arguably a better World Cup than England so far, even if I back England to beat them. Haaland has been unstoppable, they knocked out Brazil, and they bring a whole identity: the Viking stuff, the fans, the character. The exception to the smaller-European-team thing I usually dislike.
  • Switzerland I find hard to care about. Past Colombia on penalties in a 0-0, into the quarters in total silence. Very tame. They might give Argentina a game, but only because Argentina have been shaky against smaller sides, not because Switzerland are actually interesting.
  • Morocco are a great team handed a brutal draw. Against any of the other three I think they’d have a real chance, but I can’t see them beating France. Back-to-back quarterfinals is a huge achievement, and they deserve real credit. I do wish I liked them a bit more.
  • Belgium are the kind of European side I just don’t like that much, and I’m still annoyed at them for going past a Senegal team that dominated for 80 minutes. I don’t think they are anywhere near having a chance to win the whole thing because of the gap in quality to the favorites. They can give Spain a game and no more.

My predictions

I think all four favourites win, but some will have easy nights and some will have to grind, and it’s genuinely hard to call which is which.

  • France beat Morocco. Comfortable but not expansive. I can see Morocco giving them a good first half and then not keeping up in the second.
  • England v Norway is the tightest of the four. England play well but it’s close, similar in feel to their Mexico game and to Norway’s game against Brazil. I don’t want to say 3-2 again, but it’s that kind of vibe, with England a step up from Brazil. Something like a 2-1.
  • Spain beat Belgium, probably comfortably, very much like their Portugal game. Score early, 1-0 or so, and Belgium don’t put up much of a fight.
  • Argentina beat Switzerland comfortably. I see it looking like Argentina v Croatia four years ago, or their Austria game this time. I’ll say 3-0, a more comfortable win than France or Spain get.