Six European teams and one South American team reach World Cup quarterfinals
Yahoo Sports • 1 min read • Latest: Jul 8, 2026, 7:08 PM
Last updated Jul 8, 2026
As of July 8, 2026, the quarterfinals of the expanded World Cup feature six teams from Europe and one from South America. Morocco stands as the only African representative, while no teams from North/Central America or Asia have advanced beyond the round of 16. The tournament, which expanded to 48 teams, has seen Europe and South America maintain dominance, reflecting traditional patterns in World Cup history despite the increased number of participants.
- •Six European teams and one South American team are in the quarterfinals.
- •Morocco is the only African team remaining in the tournament.
- •No North/Central American teams have reached the quarterfinals since 2014.
- •Asia qualified nine teams but failed to progress beyond the group stage.
- •This year's quarterfinalists include Norway, not previously seen as a surprise team.
- 12:22 AMYahoo Sports — Expanded World Cup; same old story as Europe dominates quarter-finals
- 7:08 PMYahoo Sports — World Cup expansion changed the field — but not the quarterfinals
"The expansion of the World Cup to 48 teams has offered more of a chance to continents that were previously underrepresented at the tournament, but a glance at the quarter-final line-up tells a familiar tale.The 2002 World Cup remains an outlier, when only four European teams made the quarter-finals.
"Expansion gave more regions a bigger World Cup stage. Two rounds into the knockout stage, Europe and South America still dominate the final eight.
Sources
External links- Yahoo SportsJul 9, 2026, 12:22 AMExpanded World Cup; same old story as Europe dominates quarter-finals
The expansion of the World Cup to 48 teams has offered more of a chance to continents that were previously underrepresented at the tournament, but a glance at the quarter-final line-up tells a familiar tale.The 2002 World Cup remains an outlier, when only four European teams made the quarter-finals.
- Yahoo SportsJul 8, 2026, 7:08 PMWorld Cup expansion changed the field — but not the quarterfinals
Expansion gave more regions a bigger World Cup stage. Two rounds into the knockout stage, Europe and South America still dominate the final eight.
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