2026 FIFA World Cup Quarterfinals Conclude: Key Events and Records

The quarterfinal stage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup has concluded. TASS sums up the key events from the completed knockout round.

Statistics and results

· The final quarterfinal matches ended in extra time, with England defeating Norway (2-1) and Argentina beating Switzerland (3-1).

· Earlier in this stage, France shut out Morocco (2-0), while Spain edged Belgium (2-1).

· In the semifinals, reigning European champions Spain will face France, while reigning world champions Argentina will play England.

· Norway's Erling Haaland finished his debut World Cup with 7 goals. He trails France's Kylian Mbappe and Argentina's Lionel Messi in the top scorers list, with both stars having 8 goals to their credit.

· For the first time in World Cup history, the semifinals will feature the teams occupying the top four spots in the FIFA world rankings. France leads the pack, followed by Argentina, Spain, and England.

Records and eliminations

· Mbappe became the all-time record holder for the most game-winning goals at World Cups (8).

· The Frenchman also became the second player after Messi to score 20 World Cup goals and tied the French national team record for most tournament appearances, catching up with Hugo Lloris, with both having 20 matches under their belt.

· Mbappe became the first player to reach 100 goal involvements for France and the first to score 8 goals in two different World Cups.

· Belgium's Thibaut Courtois moved into sole possession of second place for the most World Cup appearances among goalkeepers (21), trailing only Germany's Manuel Neuer (23).

· Spain goalkeeper Unai Simon ended his record-breaking World Cup clean sheet streak, conceding a goal against Belgium to stop the clock at 649 minutes.

· England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford became the team's record holder for World Cup appearances, reaching a total of 18 matches.

· Messi became the first player in history to provide 10 assists at World Cups.

Schedule

· The semifinals between France and Spain, and England and Argentina, will take place on July 14 and 15, respectively.

· The third-place match is scheduled for overnight into July 19, Moscow time, while the tournament's decisive game will be played later on July 19.