Six of the eight quarter-finalists at the 2026 World Cup in North America are from Europe – the highest number of European teams in the last eight at a World Cup held outside Europe since 1994. Belgium, England, France, Norway, Spain and Switzerland have all reached the quarter-finals, alongside Argentina and Morocco. This marks a striking shift, given that historically European teams have struggled to win World Cups staged outside their continent. Only twice since 1930 has a European nation triumphed away from home: Spain in South Africa in 2010 and Germany in Brazil in 2014. The current tournament is shaping up to add a third name to that list.
The early stages of the 2026 World Cup did not hint at such dominance. Seven of the first ten European sides to play their opening group games failed to win. The heat in North America had been flagged as a potential obstacle, and several teams, including England, based themselves in hot areas to acclimatise. But managers downplayed the conditions. Belgium coach Rudi Garcia said of his team's draw with Egypt: "Whether it is 10 degrees or 30 degrees, we should have done better." Switzerland coach Murat Yakin blamed his side's wastefulness after a 1-1 draw with Qatar. As the group stage progressed, European teams found their rhythm, finishing with 17 wins, 12 draws and seven losses against non-European opposition.
“Six of eight World Cup quarter-finalists are from Europe – explaining the trend and what it means for England.”
In the knockout rounds, European nations showed resilience. England handled both altitude and a hostile crowd at the Azteca to beat Mexico in the last 16. Former England striker Wayne Rooney told BBC Sport: "This has shown we have a team capable of winning the World Cup. The belief this will give to these players is huge." France dealt with Paraguay's physical tactics, and Belgium brushed aside co-hosts USA in front of an expectant home crowd, setting up a quarter-final against European champions Spain.
For UK readers, England's quarter-final opponents Norway have been hit by a sickness bug, according to Norwegian outlet Dagbladet. The squad's jet-setting across North America is believed to have contributed to fatigue and illness. Norway reached the quarter-finals after a confident win over Brazil, with Erling Haaland scoring twice. The illness could give England an advantage in their high-stakes clash.
Meanwhile, controversy has erupted over Argentina's comeback win against Egypt. Egypt's Mostafa Ziko, who scored his team's second goal, said: "It was a rigged game. It wasn't our fault. That referee… it seems like this match was rigged." Egypt have since made an official complaint to FIFA, demanding an investigation into what they claim were "serious mistakes" and "double standards". FIFA has also quietly issued two new bans, though details are not yet public.
Q: Why are European teams dominating the 2026 World Cup? European sides recovered from a slow start – seven of the first ten lost or drew their opening group game – to finish the group stage with 17 wins against non-European teams. They have also shown resilience in knockout matches, handling difficult conditions like altitude and hostile crowds.
Q: Can England win the World Cup? England have a strong chance, having produced an impressive battling display to beat Mexico in the last 16. Former England striker Wayne Rooney said the team has shown it is "capable of winning the World Cup." They face Norway next, a side hit by illness.
Q: What is the Norway sickness bug? According to Norwegian outlet Dagbladet, the Norway squad has been affected by illness, likely due to fatigue from travelling across North America. The team's doctor has been "very busy" coping with the situation ahead of their quarter-final against England.
What happens next? The quarter-finals begin with France vs Morocco on July 10. The other ties are Belgium vs Spain, England vs Norway, and Argentina vs Switzerland. The winners advance to the semi-finals, with the final scheduled for July 18.