European dominance or predictability? Six of eight World Cup quarterfinalists hail from Europe

History has not been kind to European teams at World Cups staged outside the continent. Only twice since 1930 have they lifted the trophy on foreign soil – Spain in South Africa 2010 and Germany in Brazil 2014. Yet the 2026 edition in North America could buck that trend in emphatic fashion. Six of the eight quarterfinalists are European: Belgium, England, France, Norway, Spain and Switzerland. Argentina and Morocco are the only non-European sides still standing. This marks the highest number of European teams to reach the last eight at a non-European World Cup since 1994. European sides found their rhythm after a sluggish start. Seven of the first ten European nations to play their opening group games failed to win. Coaches downplayed the impact of heat and humidity. Belgium boss Rudi Garcia, after his side drew with Egypt, said: “Whether it’s 10 or 30 degrees, we should have done better.” Switzerland’s Murat Yakin pointed to wasted chances after a 1-1 draw with Qatar. By the end of the group stage, European teams had racked up 17 wins, 12 draws and just seven defeats against non-European opposition. In the knockout rounds, they showed resilience. England’s battling display at the Azteca to beat Mexico in front of a hostile crowd drew praise from Wayne Rooney, who told the broadcaster: “This has shown we have a team capable of winning the World Cup.” France overcame Paraguay’s physical tactics, and Belgium brushed aside co-hosts USA in the round of 16. France entered the tournament as favorites and have lived up to the billing. Kylian Mbappe leads the Golden Boot race with seven goals. Former England midfielder Danny Murphy highlighted France’s depth: “Rayan Cherki, Ousmane Dembele and Desire Doue can’t all start, but they can be game-changers late in games.” Ex-France defender Gael Clichy picked France, Spain and England as his top three, adding: “Being French, I’m going for them to win it.” The expanded 48-team format and an extra knockout round have not diluted Europe’s strength. Five-time champions Brazil are out, and co-hosts Canada, Mexico and the USA all exited in the round of 16. With four of the top eight in the FIFA rankings reaching the quarterfinals, European supremacy looks set to continue.