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The 2026 FIFA World Cup quarter-finals have arrived, with the final eight nations vying for football’s most prestigious title.

This stage of the tournament often feels unpredictable, as every side stands just two victories away from the final. As the quarter-final fixtures approach, we take a closer look at how bookmakers are ranking the favourites to lift the trophy.

Switzerland have finally broken their round-of-16 curse after three successive exits at that stage, edging past Colombia in a tense penalty shootout to reach the last eight for only the second time in their history.

This marks Switzerland’s first World Cup quarter-final appearance since 1954. Having also made it to the quarter-finals in each of the last two European Championships, the Swiss remain outsiders but possess enough quality to trouble Argentina in their next clash.

Belgium’s much-celebrated ‘Golden Generation’ went without a major trophy, despite fielding talents such as Eden Hazard and Vincent Kompany. The current side, featuring Romelu Lukaku, Thibaut Courtois, and Kevin De Bruyne, represents the remnants of that era while ushering in a new wave of talent.

Though Belgium’s group stage performances were unconvincing, a dominant 4-1 victory over co-hosts USA in the round of 16 has restored optimism heading into the quarter-finals.

Morocco, the sole African representative left in the competition, are chasing back-to-back semi-final appearances. Prior to their historic 2022 run, no African nation had reached the final four, but the reigning AFCON champions now stand just one win away from repeating that achievement.

Norway have returned to the World Cup for the first time this century and have ensured their presence is felt. The Norwegians have advanced to their first ever quarter-final after stunning five-time champions Brazil in the previous round.

Labelled as dark horses before the tournament began, Erling Haaland and his teammates have certainly lived up to that tag with their fearless performances so far.

Meanwhile, England continue their quest to end a 60-year wait for major silverware. The Three Lions have come agonisingly close in recent tournaments, suffering defeats in finals and semi-finals. Under Thomas Tuchel’s management, England showed resilience to edge past Mexico at the Azteca Stadium, though some lingering weaknesses have been exposed during the campaign.

Defending champions Argentina face the daunting challenge of attempting to win consecutive World Cups — a feat achieved by only two nations in history, the most recent being Brazil in 1958 and 1962. Nevertheless, Argentina have once again reached the quarter-finals, driven by the brilliance of Lionel Messi.

The 39-year-old superstar has scored eight goals so far, leading the Golden Boot race. Their dramatic comeback win over Egypt highlighted the team’s fighting spirit as they continue their title defence.

Spain endured a shaky start with a goalless draw against Cape Verde on matchday one, but have since been impeccable. The European champions have yet to concede a goal in North America, boasting five consecutive clean sheets.

France enter the last eight as the bookmakers’ favourites after a strong showing. Although their narrow win over Paraguay in the round of 16 exposed a few defensive frailties, Les Bleus had stormed through the group stage with 13 goals across four matches.

With Didier Deschamps’ experience and a wealth of attacking options, France are aiming for an extraordinary third consecutive World Cup final appearance.