#世界杯冠军预测 2026 World Cup quarterfinals set: 6 European teams partying, Argentina the lone warrior, Morocco: So am I just here to make up the numbers?

On July 8th Beijing time, after Switzerland beat Colombia 4-3 on penalties, the quarterfinalists of the 2026 USA-Canada-Mexico World Cup were officially set.
First, let's list them out:
🇫🇷France 🇪🇸Spain 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿England 🇧🇪Belgium 🇳🇴Norway 🇨🇭Switzerland
🇦🇷Argentina (sole South American representative)
🇲🇦Morocco (sole African representative)
See? 8 spots, Europe takes 6. This isn't a World Cup quarterfinal; it's the European Championship with two guest players warming up!

🌍 The host countries played a round, only to find themselves as the atmosphere crew
The three co-hosts USA, Canada, Mexico—result: USA lost 1-4 to Belgium, Canada 0-3 shut out by Morocco, Mexico lost 2-3 to England. All three hosts stopped at the Round of 16. After spending hundreds of billions on the stage, the protagonists are all from other countries—a classic "my treat, you have fun" scenario.

💀 Traditional powerhouses: gone in a flash
Brazil lost 1-2 to Norway in an upset (Haaland: didn't see that coming), Germany and Portugal went home one after another, Ronaldo's last World Cup ended in the Round of 16 losing to Spain. They said "expansion makes it more exciting," but it turned out to be European infighting first, with non-European powerhouses queuing up to exit.

🎭 Quarterfinal vibes translation
France, Spain, England, Belgium: European aristocrats passing tea to each other, waiting to see who flinches first.
Norway: First time in the quarterfinals, Haaland carrying all of Scandinavia to play a "mini Euro," mentality is — nobody expects me to win anyway.
Switzerland: Sent Colombia home in a penalty shootout, quietly making gains, typical "you think I'm a soft touch but I'm actually a wall."
Morocco: In the quarterfinals for the second consecutive time, Africa's last spark. Facing France is a replay of the 2022 semifinal, all of Africa waiting for you to get revenge.
Argentina: The sole South American survivor. Messi is 39 years old and still leading the team to come back from 2-0 down to beat Egypt 3-2. The Pampas eagle now transforms into "Dragon Quest" — except there are five and a half dragons, and you also have to watch out for the Swiss watchmakers.

⚔️ Quarterfinal matchups at a glance
France 🆚 Morocco — replay of last semifinal, Africa's light challenges the defending runner-up
Spain 🆚 Belgium — possession battle, see who lulls the other to sleep first
Norway 🆚 England — Haaland vs Kane, can the fairy tale reach the semifinals?
Argentina 🆚 Switzerland — Messi's first hurdle, win this before talking about "charging at the Europeans again"

🎤 One last gripe
FIFA expanded the World Cup to 48 teams, went through all that trouble, but look at the quarterfinals — Europe has 6 spots, with Argentina and Morocco watching Europeans hold an internal seminar. The World Cup trophy is likely heading back to Europe again, might as well rename it "2026 New Edition European Championship (North American Venue)" and save on printing tickets."
Of course, if Argentina really fights through six European armies... that script would be way better than the Euros.

Do you think Messi can lead Argentina to another title, or will France/Spain end the suspense early? Let's argue in the comments👇