FIFA World Cup: Which quarterfinal team has best chance to win the trophy?
Form guide on the final eight teams as they battle it out for the FIFA World Cup 2026 trophy in the United States. Ninety-six games
Form guide on the final eight teams as they battle it out for the FIFA World Cup 2026 trophy in the United States. Ninety-six games played, just eight more to come. FIFA World Cup 2026 has lived up to its billing as the biggest of all time, and may yet end up in the conversation as the best tournament too. We’re down to the final eight nations with hopes of winning the trophy – four of them for the first time – while the other four are aiming to write a new glorious chapter in their football history. But now the last 16 and the first rest day of the competition are out of the way, who has the best chance of being crowned champions in New York/New Jersey on July 19? Al Jazeera ranks the contenders for the title 8. Switzerland It feels like a place in the last eight for the first time in 72 years is already a win for the Swiss, and few expect them to make further history. Murat Yakin’s men benefitted from a kind draw which pitted them against the cohosts Canada, Bosnia and Qatar, and they only managed to ensure top of that group by withstanding late pressure from the Maple Leafs after being held to a 1-1 draw by Qatar in their opening match. They overcame Algeria without too much alarm in the last 32 but needed penalties to eliminate an off-form Colombia in the last round, with the Swiss failing to register a shot on target after the 32nd minute of normal time. The potential loss of speedy 20-year-old Johan Manzambi, one of the tournament’s breakout stars, to a knee injury in training will diminish their hopes against Argentina. Even if they did manage to shock the world and send Messi and co home early, the chances are they would struggle in a semifinal against either England or Norway, let alone a final against France or Spain. 7. Morocco When Morocco flew out of the blocks in the opening 45 minutes of their Group C game with Brazil, the world thought this was a new and improved version of the Atlas Lions which had made a shock run to the last-four in Qatar, however they failed to put that game to bed, despite their dominance. A 1-0 win over Scotland followed in their second match, before twice having to come from behind to see-off Haiti in the final group match. They then played the Netherlands in the last 32, and although they recovered from falling behind in the final 20 minutes to force extra-time with a goal in stoppage-time, they needed penalties to progress from another game they might well have won. In the last 16, they played their best match of the tournament against Canada. The North Africans were clinical, scoring three second-half goals to set up a France quarterfinal meeting. They will need all that and more to avoid a one-sided defeat against France, who knocked them out in the last four in 2022. While only a handful of the XI beaten four years ago are likely to feature, the loss of leading scorer Ismael Saibari will also not help their cause against a nation where six of their squad were born. Indeed teenage midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi captained the French under-21 side in a European Championship qualifier just 101 days before he is set to face Les Bleus in Boston, but switched allegiance on the eve of the tournament. If Morocco are able to rediscover their form and spring an almighty surprise to see-off their old foes then all bets are off. They already know what it takes to beat Spain or Belgium, they did so in Qatar, while a potential final would not only make history as the first African and Arab country to take part in the showpiece, it might provide the wave of momentum which takes them all the way to the trophy itself.
The BriefWire