Ethan Sears There are no safe bets in World Cup quarterfinals filled with potential favorites By Ethan Sears Published July 8, 2026, 7:30 p.m. ET Kylian Mbappe celebrates scoring his team's first goal during the 2026 World Cup round of 16 football match between Paraguay and France. AFP via Getty Images FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — As this World Cup for the ages reaches its stretch run, France and Argentina seem to be on a collision course for a first-ever World Cup final rematch four years after their 2022 epic.
And yet, in a tournament that has thrown up so much drama, albeit with few true shocks, there are too many roadblocks in the way of both to treat that as anything like a foregone conclusion.
“You’re not in the World Cup quarterfinals just like that,” France coach Didier Deschamps said Wednesday. “The quality inevitably increases. The higher you climb the mountain, the opponent is better too.”
This was one day out from the first of four delectable quarterfinals in which Deschamps’ star-studded group will face Morocco, the last African team remaining in the draw and a 2022 semifinalist.
