Six of the eight quarter-finalists at the 2026 World Cup come from Europe — a statistic that underlines just how thoroughly the continent has seized control of the tournament held in North America.

Belgium, England, France, Norway, Spain, and Switzerland have all reached the last eight, joined only by Argentina and Morocco. It is the highest number of European sides to make it this far at a World Cup staged outside Europe since 1994.

A slow start that quickly faded from memory

European teams did not arrive in North America firing on all cylinders. Seven of the first 10 European sides to play their opening group stage fixtures failed to win, raising questions about whether the heat and humidity of the host cities were taking a toll.

Belgium opened with a draw against Egypt, prompting coach Rudi Garcia to say: