The quarterfinalists for the 2026 World Cup have been officially confirmed: France, Morocco, Spain, Belgium, Norway, England, Argentina, and Switzerland have successfully advanced. No team standing on this stage has relied on luck to get here; every match will be a hard-fought battle. However, if I were to predict the ultimate champion, I would still place my bet on France.

France's biggest advantage is not a single superstar, but the balance of its squad. From the attacking power up front, to the midfield control, to the big-game experience of the defense, there are almost no glaring weaknesses. The deeper the World Cup goes, the less it is about flashy offense and more about who makes fewer mistakes—and France is one of the teams with the lowest error rate among the quarterfinalists.

Facing Morocco, France's biggest test will be how to break down a tight defense. Morocco possesses strong willpower and high tactical discipline, but France has more players capable of changing the course of the game. As long as they can score first, the match rhythm is likely to fall into France's familiar territory.