Teams Advancing in FIFA World Cup: Updated Round of 16 and Quarterfinals Overview

The tournament began with 48 teams, but only one will claim the trophy on July 19. From the initial 48, the competition quickly narrowed to 32, then 16, and now just eight squads remain as attention turns to the quarterfinal matchups.

Who Remains?

Sixteen teams entered the Round of 16 stage last Saturday. Canada and Paraguay were eliminated on the first day, followed by Brazil and Mexico on Sunday. Portugal exited after a loss to Spain on Monday, while the United States was knocked out by Belgium the same day. Tuesday’s matches saw Argentina rally past Egypt, and Switzerland edge Colombia in penalties to complete the Round of 16.

Now, only eight teams have advanced to the quarterfinals. Here’s the breakdown of those who continue their quest for the title:

Quarterfinal Contenders

Morocco made history by reaching back-to-back quarterfinals, after beating the Netherlands in penalties and then defeating Canada 3-0. They face France, who ousted Sweden 3-0 and edged Paraguay 1-0 thanks to a penalty from Kylian Mbappe. France aims for its third straight semifinal appearance.

Norway is in the quarterfinals for the first time ever. After a tight win over Ivory Coast, Erling Haaland’s two late goals helped Norway upset Brazil. Their opponent will be England, which has reached three consecutive quarterfinals, winning close matches against DR Congo and Mexico.

Spain remains unbeaten without conceding a goal so far, having eliminated Portugal 1-0 and sending Cristiano Ronaldo into retirement. They meet Belgium, who cruised past the United States 4-1 after a rocky group stage.

Argentina survived a fierce comeback against Egypt, with Lionel Messi scoring a key equalizer in a match where they trailed 2-0. Switzerland advanced by winning a penalty shootout over Colombia and will face Argentina next.

FIFA Rankings of Remaining Teams

Teams like Brazil, Netherlands, and Mexico were among the highest-ranked but have already left the competition. The top four ranked teams remain in the hunt for the trophy.