World Cup 2026 bracket: France through, three quarters left

A 2-0 France win has put the first name into the 2026 World Cup semifinals and left three quarterfinals still to play. Goals from Kylian Mbappé and Ousmane Dembélé ended Morocco's run, setting up France against either Spain or Belgium on July 14. For Canadian fans tracking the bracket after Canada's own elimination, the weekend now brings three matches that will complete the final four.

The Bottom Line

• France beat Morocco 2-0 and will face Spain or Belgium in the first semifinal.
• Spain plays Belgium on Friday, July 10, at 3 p.m. ET in Los Angeles.
• Norway faces England on Saturday, July 11, at 5 p.m. ET in Miami.
• Argentina meets Switzerland on Saturday at 9 p.m. ET in Kansas City.
• The semifinals are scheduled for July 14 and 15, with the final on July 19.

Breaking It Down

France changed the bracket first. The updated knockout picture shows a 2-0 victory built on goals from Mbappé and Dembélé. France had only 48 per cent of possession, but the underlying numbers were emphatic: a 3.04-0.14 advantage in expected goals and a 22-5 edge in shots.

That result leaves Spain and Belgium competing for the right to meet France. Spain enters the matchup without conceding a goal in the tournament, while Belgium has scored 13. The contrast is sharp: one side has built its run on defence, the other on attacking output. The quarterfinal schedule lists the game for Friday at 3 p.m. ET in Inglewood, California.

Saturday then turns to two very different contests. Norway's Erling Haaland has seven goals in four World Cup games and scored twice as Norway eliminated Brazil 2-1. England captain Harry Kane is one goal behind him in the Golden Boot race after scoring the winning penalty in a 3-2 victory over Mexico.

The final quarterfinal places defending champion Argentina against Switzerland. Lionel Messi has eight goals in the tournament after Argentina recovered from two goals down to beat Egypt 3-2. Switzerland reached this stage by defeating Colombia 4-3 on penalties after a scoreless match through regulation and extra time.

Why This Matters

The bracket now has a clear upper path. France will meet Spain or Belgium on Tuesday, July 14, while the winners of Norway-England and Argentina-Switzerland will meet the next day. That means every remaining match directly fills one of only three open semifinal places.

For audiences in Canada, the tournament has shifted from following a co-host to following the knockout race. Canada was eliminated 3-0 by Morocco in the round of 16, but the remaining schedule still features many of the tournament's biggest names. The last eight originally included the top four countries in FIFA's pretournament men's rankings, plus two more from the top 10.

The quarterfinal field also broke with history. Brazil and Germany were both absent from the last eight for the first time, while Norway reached a World Cup quarterfinal for the first time and Switzerland returned to this stage for the first time since 1954.

What Comes Next

Spain and Belgium play Friday, followed by Norway against England and Argentina against Switzerland on Saturday. The complete route to the final has the semifinals on July 14 and 15, followed by the championship match on Sunday, July 19.

France is already waiting. By the end of Saturday night in North America, the other three semifinalists will be known.