#世界杯冠军预测 2026 World Cup quarterfinals set: Norway is the biggest winner, Argentina and France who will be the final champion?

With the conclusion of the last matchday of the Round of 16 of the United States-Canada-Mexico World Cup, the 2026 World Cup quarterfinalists have been announced.
France, Morocco, Spain, Belgium, England, Norway, Argentina, and Switzerland will face off in the quarterfinals, competing for four semifinal spots.
In the quarterfinals, Europe has six spots, once again the absolute leader among continents.
African lions Morocco beat one of the hosts Canada 3-0 easily, representing Africa to get a share in the quarterfinals.
Another African team in the Round of 16, Egypt, led by two goals but was ultimately beaten 2-3 by defending champion Argentina with a stoppage-time winner.
Defending champion Argentina faced two so-called "African minnows" in the knockout stage—Cape Verde and Egypt—and narrowly won both 3-2, finally saving their champion's face at the last moment, and also preserving a bit of face for South American teams.
Otherwise, if no South American powerhouse appeared in the quarterfinals, fans across South America would be in tears.
Among the quarterfinalists, Norway eliminated South American powerhouse five-star Brazil, entering the quarterfinals for the first time in their history, becoming the biggest winner.
Only Norway is a new quarterfinalist; the other seven teams have all made it to the quarterfinals at some point, more or less.
In the next four quarterfinal matches of this World Cup, interestingly, the four teams that have won the World Cup are all avoiding each other, each paired with a team that has never won the title.
If there are no surprises, judging by strength and experience, the final four of the United States-Canada-Mexico World Cup will all be former champion teams: three-star Argentina, two-star France, one-star Spain, and England.
Of course, fans certainly hope that a weaker team can cause an upset. In these four matches, the most likely upset is Norway, with Haaland shining, the team morale high, and on a roll.
However, the probability of new quarterfinalist Norway winning the championship is not high. To win three consecutive matches among many strong teams and break through the established world champions is indeed not easy. As for Morocco, Belgium, and Switzerland, causing an upset in the next matches is even harder, let alone repeatedly causing upsets.
Therefore, it is highly probable that this World Cup will not produce a new champion.
In the upcoming schedule, there are two biggest highlights.
First, who can cause an upset in the semifinals.
Second, whether the lone South American powerhouse Argentina can break out of the European siege, laugh last, and successfully defend their title.
England, Norway, France, and Spain - none of them are easy opponents.
Moreover, Argentina was already flustered and stumbling against African teams Cape Verde and Egypt.
However, Argentina has rarely played against those two African countries, so there are more variables on the field, whereas the European powerhouses are generally very familiar to Argentina. When both sides know each other well and play cautiously, Argentina may have a bigger chance.
France seems to have smooth sailing in this World Cup, with the entire team in good form in all aspects, and is likely to reach the final.
So, will the final be a meeting between Argentina and France?
Will the final result be France tying Argentina's three stars, or Argentina upgrading to four stars? Also a small question: will Argentina's semifinal opponent be England? Another highly anticipated "England-Argentina battle"?
What do you all think? Welcome to share your views in the comments section.