A striker duel for the ages & Qatar revenge – what to expect in the quarter-finals

This expanded World Cup has already served up unforgettable drama, and the quarter-final lineup promises even more. Six European nations, plus one from Africa and one from South America, will battle for a spot in the final across four compelling ties starting Thursday. France vs Morocco – Thursday, 21:00 BST, Atlanta Stadium Morocco's run to the semi-finals in Qatar was a shock, but this time around they arrive in the United States as a confident, stylish side. Against Canada in the round of 16, the Africa Cup of Nations holders (though Senegal have lodged an appeal over the final) fielded only four of the XI that lost to France in the 2022 semi. They play with flair and belief and will test Didier Deschamps' team like never before. France, meanwhile, started just three of that semi-final lineup in their win over Paraguay, with William Saliba and Michael Olise symbolising a refreshed squad. Kylian Mbappe remains the headline act, chasing both the Golden Boot and the all‑time World Cup scoring record, with Lionel Messi his main rival. Key stat: half of France's World Cup defeats this century have come against African sides (three of six). Morocco are unbeaten in 34 matches but have never beaten France, who have won seven in a row and 11 of their past 12 meetings. Spain vs Belgium – Friday, 20:00 BST, Los Angeles Stadium Belgium have been free‑scoring, their 13 goals the third‑highest at the tournament (behind Argentina and France with 14). Romelu Lukaku, despite not being at peak fitness, has three goals off the bench (one every 67 minutes) and Leandro Trossard has two goals and two assists. But Spain represent a terrifying defensive obstacle. Luis de la Fuente's side have yet to concede in six straight World Cup clean sheets – the longest run in tournament history – and their expected goals against average of 0.3 is the lowest since records began in 1966. Spain have won all six knockout games under De la Fuente and are unbeaten in 11 meetings with Belgium (nine wins, two draws). The last time these sides met in a quarter‑final was Mexico '86, when Belgium advanced on penalties. Norway vs England – Saturday, 22:00 BST, Miami Stadium This is the match everyone is talking about: a direct duel between two of the world's finest centre‑forwards. Erling Haaland has scored seven goals in four games, including two to knock out five‑time champions Brazil in the last 16. The Manchester City striker now has 62 international goals in 54 appearances – one every 71 minutes – and is on a run of 14 consecutive matches scoring for Norway, netting 27 times in that span. Just one goal behind him in the Golden Boot race is England captain Harry Kane. The Bayern Munich forward, 32, scored more goals for club and country (73) than any other European player in the 2025‑26 season and has 14 World Cup goals, making him England's all‑time leading scorer at the tournament. His penalty against Mexico proved decisive in a classic round‑of‑16 tie. The fourth quarter‑final also promises plenty of intrigue, with the remaining sides knowing that a place in the semi‑finals is just one win away.