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Yahoo Sports Staff
Wed, July 8, 2026 at 9:40 PM UTC
We are down to the final eight in the 2026 World Cup. There are the regulars, like Argentina, France and Spain, and there are some fresh faces with Norway and Switzerland
France is the only team to win all five of their matches without needing extra time and Kylian Mbappé has been on a heater. He’s only one goal shy of Lionel Messi in the Golden Boot race heading into Thursday’s tilt with Morocco. Les Bleus will be looking to reach their third straight semifinal and to become only the third team to advance to the final four three tournaments in a row
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In order to break down France, the Atlas Lions will need their stars to be at their best. Morocco is the first African nation to advance to the final eight in back-to-back World Cups and certainly aren’t expecting to be sent home at this stage
Who will move on to next week’s World Cup semifinals?
World Cup knockout bracket
Quarterfinals schedule
Thursday, July 9, 4 p.m. ET (Fox):Morocco vs. France(Boston)
Friday, July 10, 3 p.m. ET (Fox):Belgium vs. Spain(Los Angeles)
Saturday, July 11, 5 p.m. ET (Fox):Norway vs. England(Miami)
Saturday, July 11, 9 p.m. ET (Fox):Argentina vs. Switzerland(Kansas City)
After 96 games, the World Cup is down to eight teams, a mix of traditional powers, rising programs and recently reliable squads
With only eight teams to rank, there’s no need for tiers. This is a simple order of how likely I think each team is to win the tournament, through a combination of quality and the path ahead
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Lionel Messi was one of 29 players named to the MLS All-Star team on Wednesday. The Inter Miami star leads the league with 20 goal contributions and is tied for second with 12 goals in 14 games
Messi, currently with Argentina as they prepare for a World Cup quarterfinal match against Switzerland, was one of 11 players voted on to the roster. Sixteen others, including Messi’s international and club teammate Rodrigo De Paul, were selected by MLS All-Star head coach Dean Smith. Toronto FC’s Richie Laryea and Red Bull New York’s Julian Hall were added as commissioner’s selections
Since joining MLS, Messi has not taken part in an All-Star Game after injuring his ankle during Copa América in 2024 and then using the time off to rest instead of playing in last season’s game
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The two teams that will be in the World Cup final on July 19 at MetLife Stadium will have been hunkered down with their teammates for nearly seven weeks. That is many flights across North America and numerous nights in hotels away from their family and friends, but for good reason. This tournament only comes around once every four years and players have only so many opportunities to be a part of one
How teams approach recovery not only for body, but also for mind will greatly impact their ability to compete in the grind that is the World Cup
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There are no matches today. The quarterfinals will begin on Thursday with France playing Morocco
