FIFA World Cup 2026: Biggest takeaways from the quarterfinals
Summary
Four former FIFA World Cup champions—Argentina, England, France, and Spain—have reached the semifinals of the 2026 tournament. The quarterfinal matches showed key moments, including France defeating Morocco, Spain narrowly beating Belgium, and England winning against Norway.Key Facts
- Four former champions made it to the World Cup semifinals for the first time since 1990: Argentina, England, France, and Spain.
- France beat Morocco 2-0; Morocco used a striker-less lineup that did not work well.
- Morocco’s goalkeeper saved a penalty from France’s Kylian Mbappe before France scored two goals.
- Spain won 2-1 against Belgium with a late winning goal set up after a long-range shot by young defender Pau Cubarsi.
- Pau Cubarsi, a 19-year-old from Barcelona, started as a center-back for Spain and played well defensively.
- Substitute Mikel Merino scored quickly after entering the match for Spain.
- England defeated Norway 2-1 in the quarterfinals.
- Belgium was the first team to score against Spain in this tournament, but Spain focused on controlling the ball rather than just defending.
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