World Cup 2026: when the quarter-finals start — and which games will be played
The 2026 FIFA World Cup enters the decisive phase with the quarter-finals, following the conclusion of the round of 16 on Tuesday night. A brief break in the calendar follows and the next round kicks off on Thursday, July 9th. The final match of this stage will be played in the early hours of Sunday, July 12th. It is important to note that, from this stage onwards, all matches take place in the United States: Mexico and Canada hosted their last games of the competition in the round of 16.World Cup 2026 quarter-finals — dates, times and host cities:
- July 9, 10pm: France vs Morocco — Boston
- July 10, 9pm: Spain vs Belgium — Los Angeles
- July 11, 11pm: Norway vs England — Miami
- July 12, 3am: Argentina vs Switzerland — Kansas City
The four host cities for these quarter-finals — Boston, Los Angeles, Miami and Kansas City — are part of the 16 stadiums spread across the three host countries (USA, Mexico and Canada) in this expanded edition of the World Cup. Boston is expected to host the match at Gillette Stadium (Foxborough), Los Angeles at the modern SoFi Stadium (Inglewood), Miami at Hard Rock Stadium and Kansas City at Arrowhead (GEHA Field). With travel from coast to coast, managing rest and logistics becomes a key factor for the eight teams still in the competition, who are looking for a place in the semi-finals and keeping their dream of the final alive.
When it comes to television broadcasts in Germany, the schedule maintains the model already known in this competition: ARD and ZDF share the free-to-air broadcast of selected games, but to watch all the matches it is necessary to use the MagentaTV (Telekom) service. Also in the quarter-finals, two matches will be broadcast exclusively on the paid platform, while the other two will have simultaneous coverage on Free-TV (ARD/ZDF). The exact list of which duels will be broadcast exclusively on MagentaTV was not detailed, but the principle remains: whoever wants to guarantee all the games in this phase will have access to the Telekom service.
With France–Morocco opening the quarter-finals in Boston and Argentina closing against Switzerland in Kansas City, the lineup offers high-risk duels, with minimal margin for error. Spain and Belgium promise intensity and technical precision in Los Angeles, while Norway and England face off in Miami in a European clash full of recent history at national team level. Four games, four cities, eight candidates — and only four will qualify for the semi-finals of the 2026 World Cup.
Frequently asked questions
When do the quarter-finals of the 2026 World Cup start?
The quarter-finals start on Thursday, July 9th.
What are the host cities for the quarter finals?
The host cities are Boston, Los Angeles, Miami and Kansas City.
What games are scheduled for the quarter finals?
The games are: France vs Morocco, Spain vs Belgium, Norway vs England and Argentina vs Switzerland.
Where will the games be broadcast in Germany?
The games will be broadcast on ARD, ZDF and MagentaTV.
How important is rest management and logistics at this stage?
Managing rest and logistics is crucial for the eight teams still competing, due to travel from coast to coast in the United States.
Read more on our latest coverage and stay tuned for updates on what happens next.