The World Cup began as a sprawl — 48 teams, three host nations, heat, distance, noise and the promise that football’s centre of gravity might tilt somewhere unexpected.

Two knockout rounds later, Europe has placed six teams in the quarterfinals, with Argentina and Morocco the only survivors from outside the continent.

European nations — Spain in 2010 and Germany in Brazil four years later — have won the trophy only twice outside Europe, but with France, Spain, England, Belgium, Norway and Switzerland making up three-quarters of the last eight, the chances of the continent adding to that list now feel high.

This is the most European quarterfinal line-up outside Europe since 1994. The round of 16 also ended in tears for Cristiano Ronaldo and Neymar, while the three host nations disappeared one by one.

The eight teams, though, have taken very different paths to get here. Some arrived through control, some through chaos, and others through sheer stubbornness.

Argentina’s route has been the least serene and perhaps, for that reason, the most revealing. The defending champion had to keep answering uncomfortable questions. Cape Verde dragged it deep in their round of 32 clash and Egypt then had it staring at elimination in Atlanta before Lionel Messi and company overturned a two-goal deficit in the final stretch to win 3-2.

It has not always looked orderly, but Argentina has looked resilient. Messi’s goals continue to shape the campaign, but for Lionel Scaloni, the greater comfort will come from the fact that his team has already lived through the sort of disorder that often ends World Cups.

“We made our people suffer even though we didn’t play a bad game,” Scaloni said after the win over Egypt. “We would be out if we didn’t fight.”

France’s Malo Gusto during training
| Photo Credit:
Reuters

France, too, has been left with bruises. It swatted Sweden aside in the round of 32, but Paraguay turned the last-16 tie into a scrap, defending deep, slowing the game and forcing Didier Deschamps’ side to settle for a narrow win through Kylian Mbappe’s late penalty.

Yet France still looks the deepest squad left in the competition, with Mbappe’s seven goals giving it the tournament’s sharpest edge and Ousmane Dembele, Bradley Barcola and Michael Olise all growing in stature.

England’s quarterfinal place was earned in the most difficult setting of the lot. It’s 3-2 win over Mexico at the Azteca was a test of altitude, noise and a wall of home hostility. England was reduced to 10 men and still survived.

England’s midfielder Kobbie Mainoo takes part in a training session at the Pumas training grounds in Mexico City on July 4, 2026, on the eve of the 2026 World Cup round of 16 football match between Mexico and England.
| Photo Credit:
AFP

Norway, its next opponent, authored one of the shocks of the tournament by knocking Brazil out, with Erling Haaland scoring twice in a 2-1 win. Under Stale Solbakken, Norway can hurt teams both in transition and with the ball, and England’s defenders now face the most obvious individual duel of the round — containing Haaland without losing control of the spaces around him.

Belgium and Switzerland have reached the last eight by mastering pressure in very different ways. Belgium was too calm and too clinical for the United States, winning 4-1 despite the noise around Folarin Balogun’s controversial reinstatement and the weight of a home crowd.

Switzerland, meanwhile, held its nerve better than Colombia in a goalless last-16 tie before prevailing on penalties to reach a first World Cup quarterfinal in 72 years.

Spain, meanwhile, still has not conceded a goal and removed Portugal with a cold efficiency that looks ominous.

Spain’s players take part in a training session at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas on July 7, 2026, during the 2026 World Cup football tournament.
| Photo Credit:
AFP

The quarterfinal line-up now offers four very different tests. France against Morocco in Boston pits the tournament’s deepest squad against its most defiant underdog. Spain against Belgium in California feels like a contest between a side that monopolises the ball and one that can cut through space quickly.

England’s match against Norway in Miami may hinge on whether England can contain Haaland while still imposing its own rhythm. Argentina against Switzerland offers Messi another knockout maze against a side that rarely loses its shape or its calm.

The quarterfinals are evidence of where this World Cup has drifted. What began as a sprawling global carnival has tightened into a bracket dominated by Europe, with Argentina and Morocco left to resist the pull.

Published – July 08, 2026 08:50 pm IST

File photo of Belgium’s Jeremy Doku.
| Photo Credit: Imagn Images via REUTERS

Italy ensured qualification for the Nations League quarter-finals with a victory over Belgium on Thursday that also guaranteed France a place in the last-eight despite a lacklustre display in a scoreless draw with Israel under tight security in Paris. Lee Carsley, whose brief reign as England coach ends on Sunday, enjoyed an emphatic victory in Athens that put his team top of their pool on goal difference. In Brussels, Italy were economical as they beat Belgium 1-0 in Group A2.

The visitors dominated the early stages and scored after 11 minutes. A cross from fullback Giovanni Di Lorenzo deflected into the path of Sandro Tonali for a tap in.

Belgian centre back Wout Faes hit a post with a second-half header.

“We showed again that we give it a go and don’t just sit back in matches, that’s the big change,” Tonali told RAI.

At the Stade de France in Paris, tentative France struggled to create and take chances as they drew 0-0 with Israel before a crowd of just under 17,000 in a stadium that holds up to 80,000.

Around 4,000 police and members of the security forces patrolled inside and outside the ground to prevent a repetition of the attacks on fans of Israeli club Maccabi Tel Aviv in Amsterdam last week.

Stewards had to intervene at one point to stop fans of both nations from clashing in the stands, an AFP reporter saw.

Around 100 Israeli fans attended the match despite calls from Israeli authorities to stay away.

On the pitch, it took until the 20th minute for captain N’Golo Kante, jinking into the six-yard box, to force a first save from goalkeeper Daniel Peretz.

France managed 25 attempts on goal but Peretz had to make only two diving saves in the second half, first from Warren Zaire-Emery and then in added time from Christopher Nkunku.

“Anger. Frustration,” said France fullback Jules Kounde when asked his immediate reaction by French broadcaster TF1. “The only good point from tonight is that qualification is assured.”

Italy lead the group by three points but France could still take first when the teams meet in Milan on Sunday.

“We could have done more but we did what we needed to do against an ultra-defensive opponent,” France coach Didier Deschamps told TF1.

Kane dropped

In Athens, Carsley, forced into a string of changes by a flurry of withdrawals from his last England squad, sprung a surprise by dropping Harry Kane.

Ollie Watkins replaced the England captain and took seven minutes to justify Carsley’s decision. Noni Madueke raced onto a Jude Bellingham pass and crossed for Watkins to stab home.

As in their win at Wembley in October, the Greeks caused England’s inexperienced defence problems in the Group B2 clash.

After 30 minutes, right back Kostas Tsimikas ran into space in the box. Everton’s Jordan Pickford hurled himself to his right to turn away a piledriver from the Liverpool man.

England started the second half in control. Rico Lewis forced a save from Odysseas Vlachodimos and Bellingham hit a post with a header before Fotis Ioannidis drew another diving save from Pickford.

Kane came on but another England talisman, Bellingham, forced the goal that put England top of the group after 78 minutes. His shot struck the post, rebounded into the back of airborne Vlachodimos and flew in.

Curtis Jones, on his debut, added the third five minutes later.

England and Greece both have 12 points with one game to go but England’s goal difference is three better.

“We’re moving in the right direction,” Carsley told ITV. “We have a lot of outstanding talent.”

The top two in B3 are also separated on goal difference as leaders Austria and pursuers Norway both won.

Austria’s Christoph Baumgartner and Michael Gregoritsch scored in the first 25 minutes in Almaty by which time Kazakhstan were down to ten men.

Austria saw out a 2-0 win and lead the pool on goal difference from Norway who won 4-1 in Slovenia with Erling Haaland scoring once.

More than 100 Europeans were evacuated from Lebanon on a Belgian military plane on Thursday evening, most of them from Belgium, the Netherlands and France, the government in Brussels said.

The aircraft, which landed at Melsbroek military base near the Belgian capital was carrying “58 Belgians and dependents, 41 Dutch citizens, 11 from France and one from Luxembourg, a foreign ministry spokesman told AFP on Friday.

Over the past week nearly 150 of the 1,800 or so Belgians living in Lebanon have benefited from assistance to return to Belgium, he said.

A first group left last week on two flights arranged by the Netherlands.

It included two Belgian journalists who were attacked and injured in Beirut while covering an Israeli bombardment of the city on the night of October 2 to 3.

“All the Belgians who wanted to leave have been able to do so. We are continuing to assess the situation,” the spokesman said.

Israeli ground forces invaded Lebanon on September 30, saying they were aiming to stop cross-border fire from Hezbollah in support of Palestinian militant group Hamas, which attacked Israel on October 7, sparking a devastating ongoing war in Gaza.

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

Belgium coach Domenico Tedesco named his squad on Friday that will take on Italy and France in the Nations League, with Manchester City star Kevin De Bruyne missing out through injury. The 33-year-old midfielder had left the question of his international future somewhat up in the air but told Tedesco that he would still be available for selection for the next two years. “I had a long telephone talk with Kevin where, first of all, now he is injured but in general he is very motivated to continue to be with us and to play also the World Cup,” said the Italian coach.

“He asked me to be out for this camp and for the November camp to take care of his body.”

Napoli star Romelu Lukaku‘s name was also missing from the list of 23 as Tedesco decided to rest the striker and allow him “to work individually” as he settles into life in the southern Italian club, which he joined in late August.

Belgium will play Italy in Rome on October 10, before travelling to Brussels to face France four days later.

Squad:

Goalkeepers: Koen Casteels (Al Qadsiah/KSA), Matz Sels (Nottingham Forest/ENG), Maarten Vandevoordt (RB Leipzig/GER)

Defenders: Sebastiaan Bornauw (Wolfsburg/GER), Timothy Castagne (Fulham/ENG), Zeno Debast (Sporting Portugal/POR), Maxim De Cuyper (Club Bruges), Wout Faes (Leicester/ENG), Matte Smets (Genk), Arthur Theate (Eintracht Francfort/GER), Koni De Winter (Genoa/ITA)

Midfielders: Charles De Ketelaere (Atalanta/ITA), Amadou Onana (Aston Villa/ENG), Orel Mangala (Lyon/FRA), Youri Tielemans (Aston Villa/ENG), Arne Engels (Celtic/SCO), Malick Fofana (Lyon/FRA)

Forwards: Johan Bakayoko (PSV/NED), Jeremy Doku (Manchester City/ENG), Dodi Lukebakio (Sevilla/ESP), Lois Openda (RB Leipzig/GER), Cyril Ngonge (Naples/ITA), Leandro Trossard (Arsenal/ENG)

Italy kept up their perfect start to the UEFA Nations League on Monday, while France got the better of Belgium and Erling Haaland struck a late winner for Norway against Austria. The Italians built on an impressive win away in France at the weekend as they beat Israel 2-1 in a game played on neutral territory in Budapest due to the security situation in the Middle East. Goals in each half from Davide Frattesi and Moise Kean were enough for Italy to win in a subdued atmosphere at the Bozsik Arena, home of Honved.

Luciano Spalletti’s team have reacted well to their disastrous European Championship title defence, which ended at the last-16 stage, and deserved their second win in a matter of days.

Frattesi followed his goal in the 3-1 win in France by chesting home Federico Dimarco’s pinpoint cross in the 38th minute to open the scoring.

Fiorentina striker Kean made it 2-0 just after the hour mark with his first Italy goal in almost exactly three years, before Mohamed Abu Fani pulled one back at the end for Israel.

Italy are top of Nations League Group A2 with the maximum six points, while France and Belgium are level on three points apiece.

France beat Belgium 2-0 in Lyon, with Randal Kolo Muani and Ousmane Dembele getting the goals as the home side won despite captain Kylian Mbappe being left out of the starting line-up.

The game was a repeat of the Euro 2024 last-16 tie which France won 1-0 in Duesseldorf thanks to a late own goal.

This time, Les Bleus went ahead just before the half-hour mark, Kolo Muani applying the finish after Dembele’s mishit shot was pushed out by Belgian goalkeeper Koen Casteels.

A Belgian side captained by Kevin De Bruyne could not find an equaliser and France scored again on 57 minutes thanks to a fine individual effort by Dembele.

The Paris Saint-Germain winger skipped inside from the right wing before blasting a shot into the net on his left foot.

Sesko hat-trick, Wales win

In Group B3, Norway beat Austria 2-1 in Oslo as Manchester City star Haaland fired in the winner 10 minutes from time.

Felix Myhre gave Norway an early lead only for Marcel Sabitzer of Borussia Dortmund to equalise for Austria before the break.

However, Haaland — who drew a blank in Norway’s 0-0 draw in Kazakhstan on Friday — showed trademark strength inside the box to hold off his marker and fire in the winner, with the goal given after a long VAR check for a possible offside.

In the same group, RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko bagged a hat-trick as Slovenia beat Kazakhstan 3-0 in Ljubljana.

In Group B4, Wales followed their goalless draw against Turkey by beating Montenegro 2-1 away for their first win under new coach Craig Bellamy.

They got off to a terrific start, with Kieffer Moore and Harry Wilson both scoring inside the first three minutes. Driton Camaj then pulled one back for the hosts.

Turkey beat Iceland 3-1 in Izmir, a game in which Kerem Akturkoglu of Benfica hit a hat-trick.

There were also wins on Monday for Romania and Kosovo respectively in League C.

IND vs BEL Live, Olympics Men’s Hockey: India Face World No. 1 side© AFP

Paris Olympic Games Live: A Look At India’s Schedule Today

Here’s how India’s schedule looks like on Day 6 of Paris Olympics:

11am- Athletics – Men’s 20km Race Walk Final- Akshdeep Singh, Vikas Singh, Paramjeet Bisht

12:30pm- Golf – Men’s Round 1- Gaganjeet Bhullar, Shubhankar Sharma

12:50pm- Athletics – Women’s 20km Race Walk- Priyanka Goswami

1pm- Shooting – 50m Rifle 3 Positions Men’s Final- Swapnil Kusale

1:30pm- Hockey – Men’s Group B – India v Belgium

2:30pm- Boxing – Women’s 50kg Round of 16- Nikhat Zareen vs Wu Yu (China)

2:31pm- Archery – Men’s Individual 1/32- Pravin Jadhav vs Kao Wenchao (China)

3:10pm – Archery – Men’s Individual 1/16- Pravin Jadhav (Subject to qualification)

3:30pm- Shooting – 50m Rifle 3 Positions Women’s Qualification- Sift Kaur Samra, Anjum Moudgil

3:45pm onwards- Sailing – Men’s Dinghy Race 1-2- Vishnu Saravanan

4:30pm- Badminton – Men’s Doubles Quarterfinals- Satwiksairaj Rankireddy/ Chirag Shetty vs Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik (Malaysia)

Not before 5:40pm- Badminton – Men’s Singles Round of 16- Lakshya Sen vs HS Prannoy

7:05pm- Sailing – Women’s Dinghy Race 1-2- Nethra Kumanan

10pm – Badminton – Women’s Singles Round of 16- PV Sindhu vs He Bing Jiao (China)

Jan Vertonghen‘s late own goal took France into the quarter-finals of Euro 2024 on Monday as they edged Belgium 1-0 in a tense tie in Duesseldorf. France had dominated the last-16 clash but their profligate finishing looked set to force extra time until they finally found a way through with five minutes left. Substitute Randal Kolo Muani collected the ball inside the Belgian penalty area and hit a shot that was going wide until a deflection off the unfortunate Vertonghen took it past goalkeeper Koen Casteels. The lucky break sent the 2022 World Cup runners-up into a last-eight tie in Hamburg on Friday as they remain on course to become European champions for the third time.

France are yet to score from open play in four matches at the tournament — captain Kylian Mbappe netted once from a penalty against Poland, while their other two goals came from opposition defenders.

Crucially, however, they are rock solid in defence, having conceded only one goal, from a penalty, so far.

Their back line was outstanding against Romelu Lukaku and his fellow attackers, and Belgium bow out after what will go down as a disappointing tournament for them.

Both of these sides were looking for revenge, in Belgium’s case for their 1-0 defeat against France in the semi-finals of the 2018 World Cup, a result that still hurts six years on.

France, meanwhile, had a point to prove at the Euros after going out in the last 16 three years ago on penalties to Switzerland, a deeply disappointing result in between runs to consecutive World Cup finals.

The French were widely seen as the favourites to win this tournament before arriving in Germany, but they were below par during the group phase.

The broken nose suffered by Mbappe in their opening game against Austria did not help, and the uncertain form of Antoine Griezmann has been a problem too.

Griezmann was dropped for the last group match against Poland but returned here in one of two changes, with Marcus Thuram also coming in as wingers Ousmane Dembele and Bradley Barcola made way.

Meanwhile Belgium coach Domenico Tedesco’s reaction to his own side’s unconvincing displays in the group stage was striking.

Yannick Carrasco and Lois Openda were given starts to provide as much attacking threat as possible in support of Lukaku, while skipper Kevin De Bruyne played a more withdrawn role.

The hope, for the neutrals at least, was that so much attacking talent would lead to an open game full of goals, but the reality was rather different.

Belgium were happy to sit back and thwart France, and did not test opposition goalkeeper Mike Maignan at all in the first half.

France had lots of the ball, yet often looked untidy, imprecise and rather flat, with Griezmann appearing lost on the right wing.

But they had chances in the first half, with Thuram heading just wide from Jules Kounde’s inviting cross just after the half-hour mark and Aurelien Tchouameni twice firing off-target.

Real Madrid midfielder Tchouameni then tested Casteels with a deflected long-range strike as France upped their game at the beginning of the second half.

Mbappe accelerated inside and smashed a shot just over, and there was a sense a goal might be coming.

The breakthrough almost came for Belgium an hour in as William Saliba lost possession on halfway and De Bruyne released Carrasco, who was about to pull the trigger when Theo Hernandez arrived to make a brilliant saving block.

Maignan finally had to make a save 20 minutes from the end of normal time, to keep out a drive from Lukaku, and was called into action again to deny De Bruyne.

It was becoming clear that one goal would decide the contest, and France got it in the 85th minute as N’Golo Kante fed Kolo Muani, and his shot went in off Vertonghen to take Les Bleus through.