FIFA World Cup brackets: Semifinal schedule, France vs Spain prediction

France, the title favorites and two-time World Cup champions, will face African champions Morocco in the quarterfinals of the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Thursday, July 9th, at Boston Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts. France has had a dominant tournament, winning all five of their matches and scoring 14 goals, led by Kylian Mbappe who is currently the Golden Boot leader. Morocco, who reached the semifinals in 2022 and are the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations winners, are considered serious contenders and aim to reach back-to-back semifinals. They advanced by defeating the Netherlands in a penalty shootout and Canada, though they will be without key player Ismael Saibari due to injury. France secured their quarterfinal spot by topping their group and winning against Sweden and Paraguay.

The World Cup quarterfinals feature eight teams, including top-ranked nations France, Spain, Argentina, and England. France is the betting favorite, followed by Spain, defending champion Argentina, and England. The matchups are France vs. Morocco, Spain vs. Belgium, Norway vs. England, and Argentina vs. Switzerland. All games are being broadcast in the U.S. on Fox, Peacock, and Telemundo. France has dominated offensively, while Morocco reached the quarterfinals by tying Brazil and eliminating the Netherlands. Spain advanced by defeating Uruguay and Portugal, and Belgium overcame Senegal and the U.S. Norway is an underdog with Erling Haaland leading their attack, and England overcame Mexico despite an injury. Argentina, led by Lionel Messi, is favored against Switzerland, who reached the quarterfinals for the first time since 1954. The semifinals are scheduled for July 14 and 15, with the final on July 19.

The FIFA World Cup 2026 quarterfinal stage features eight teams vying for the championship. The article previews two matchups: France versus Morocco and Spain versus Belgium. France, the defending champions from 2022, face Morocco in a rematch of their semifinal clash. Morocco, with a new coach and squad changes since 2022, reached the quarterfinals after a penalty shootout win and a 3-0 victory. France has had a relatively smooth path, securing wins against several nations. Spain, who have maintained five consecutive clean sheets, will play Belgium. Belgium's progression to the quarterfinals was unexpected, marked by late comebacks and penalty shootout victories, including a dramatic win against Senegal. They then defeated the USA in the round of 16.

Following Argentina's controversial 3-2 World Cup victory over Egypt in Atlanta, experts are questioning the legitimacy of the match. A late VAR call rescinded Egypt's second goal, leading to Argentina's comeback win. Egypt's manager speculated that external factors and pressure may have influenced officials to keep Lionel Messi's team in the competition. This controversy follows a previous incident where US President Donald Trump successfully lobbied FIFA to overturn a player's suspension. Experts suggest the lines between sport and politics are increasingly blurred, with potential biases influencing decisions, especially given the close relationship between Trump and Argentina's president, Javier Milei. While some deem the refereeing inconsistent, others argue the decisions were debatable, though Argentina benefited from favorable calls.

Egypt's head coach, Hossam Hassan, used a press conference previewing his team's World Cup match against Argentina to deliver a four-minute monologue on the situation in Palestine. Hassan stated that anyone who does not feel for the Palestinian people is "not human," regardless of their background. He drew a parallel between the world's reaction to animal cruelty and the perceived lack of response to Palestinian deaths. Hassan emphasized his message of respect for the right to live, aligning it with FIFA's slogan. The article notes that FIFA permits the display of the Palestinian flag at the World Cup and mentions pro-Palestinian protests and athlete support.