The World Cup has boiled down to eight teams, with the first quarterfinal matchup featuring a rematch of the 2022 semifinal between European powerhouse France and rising African side Morocco.

Quarterfinal Matchups

On Friday, two European sides will face off as powerhouses Spain take on long-time dark horses Belgium. Spain has a flawless defensive record, but Belgium just routed the USA 4-1.

On Saturday, Norway will meet England in a battle of the newest dark horse and a European powerhouse on a trophy drought. Reigning champions Argentina will hope to keep their title defense running against Switzerland.

The matchup between Argentina and Switzerland is ranked as the least entertaining, despite featuring Lionel Messi. Switzerland can hang with the best, but their lack of superstar quality is a disadvantage.

The matchup between Spain and Belgium has the potential to be great, but it will rely on Belgium staying consistent in attack against an elite defense. The matchup between France and Morocco will be intense, with Morocco’s newfound quality in their forwards being a threat to France.

The matchup between Norway and England features the sport’s most dominant scorer, Erling Haaland, against a team full of Premier League players who know him well. Norway’s dark-horse run will rely on Haaland capitalizing on moments with captain Martin Odegaard behind him.

Original reporting: Dallas TX News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.