The World Cup quarterfinals are set after a hotly contested round of 16 between the United States, Canada and Mexico, with each of the eight nations hoping to make it all the way to the end and claim the trophy.
England are also among the World Cup candidates (Image: Getty Images)
Only eight countries remain in the 2026 World Cup, and each country is just three wins away from glory. After a series of thrilling matches, the Round of 16 concluded on Tuesday, with the quarter-finalists decided.
Reigning champion Argentina defeated Egypt in a remarkable comeback and continues to win the championship. They will be joined by European powerhouses Spain and France, each of whom will be confident of winning the trophy.
Of course, England remain after their brilliant win over Mexico at the Azteca. This year, Norway, Morocco, Belgium and Switzerland have qualified for the quarter-finals and remain solid prospects for their first victory.
But how do each team rank when it comes to chances? Mirror Football takes a look…
1) France
Didier Deschamps’ team entered the tournament as one of the favorites to win the tournament, and in fact, that possibility grew as the tournament progressed. Les Bleus easily made it through the group stage, defeating Sweden in the last 32.
Things were not so easy in the Round of 16 against Paraguay, with Kylian Mbappé’s penalty needed for France to break through. However, they are the best team in the competition and most people are betting on them to win the trophy.
Kylian Mbappé could lead France to a third World Cup (Image: Getty Images)
2) Spain
Spain have enjoyed a near-perfect World Cup so far, heading into their first match against Cape Verde. They have won their last four matches and have yet to concede a goal during the World Cup.
Like France, they were forced to push for victory against Portugal in the round of 16, with Mikel Merino scoring a late goal against their Iberian rivals. They have quality all over the pitch and it would not be surprising to see them in the final.
3) England
It’s really hard to place Thomas Tuchel’s side as the Three Lions have been either sensational or below average at the World Cup so far. But when it comes to their recent games against Mexico, it’s hard to say they aren’t legitimate favorites.
England took the initiative in the first half and defended resolutely thereafter, earning one of the most memorable results. They are no doubt aiming to use their experience to go even deeper into the sport.
England advance to the quarter-finals in Thomas Tuchel’s first tournament (Image: Getty Images)
4) Argentina
The reigning world champions avoided an almighty scare on Tuesday after falling 2-0 down to Egypt, but three late goals kept their hopes of winning a second successive World Cup alive.
Lionel Scaloni’s side had just managed to get past Cape Verde before defeating Egypt and looked a bit vulnerable in the finals. But they have Lionel Messi, the World Cup’s all-time leading scorer, and with him anything is possible.
5) Norway
When it comes to inspiring forwards, Norway certainly have one of their own. Erling Haaland exceeded even his own expectations at the World Cup.
The Manchester City striker has already scored seven goals in the competition, including two that helped them defeat five-time champions Brazil in the Round of 32. Apart from him, Norway have a lot of quality that they will aim to exploit against England.
Erling Haaland starred for Norway at the World Cup (Image: Getty Images)
6) Morocco
After reaching the semi-finals in 2022, the African side once again had a very fruitful performance in the United States. Since then, Mohamed Ouabi has taken over and ensured that under his management Morocco remained a highly effective team.
They dominated co-host Canada in the last round, and have also had strong performances against the Netherlands and Brazil, so anyone thinking they will come out on top is wrong. It would probably be high on this list as well, but the World Cup could actually be over quickly as France advances to the quarter-finals.
7) Belgium
Rudi Garcia’s Belgium is still not really convinced at the moment. They won only one game in the group stage, but needed extra time to defeat Senegal in the round of 32.
However, the Red Devils seem to be coming into their own at the right time. Belgium defeated co-hosts the United States with a 4-1 victory in the round of 16, and will be expected to continue that momentum against Spain.
However, given the aging of the squad and the fact that they will be playing against the current European champions, it is very difficult to place them any higher.
Belgium defeats USA 4-1 to advance to quarterfinals (Image: Getty Images)
8) Switzerland
In fact, Switzerland performed very well throughout the group stage, earning a confident victory against Algeria in the Round of 32. However, it is unlikely that they will advance further than the quarter-finals.
They narrowly defeated Colombia in a penalty shootout and were rewarded with a showdown against Argentina. Do they resemble World Cup winners? not much. It would take a miracle for that to happen, which is why they’re at the bottom of this list.
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