Fifa World Cup 2026: Spain play Belgium in their quarter-final at 20:00 BST - the winners will face France in the last four in Dallas on Tuesday (20:00)
Predict the result of that game here with our World Cup predictor
ICYMI: France become the first nation to reach the semi-finals after beating Morocco 2-0
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3 nil to Spain. I just think that the control Spain have defensively is arguably the best in the tournament and add Lamine Yamal to that makes them quite deadly.
Jamie, Golders Green
Spain v Belgium (20:00 BST)
Image source, Getty ImagesSpain possess an array of attacking talent and midfield riches that would be the envy of most nations.
Pedri continues to pull the strings in midfield, with support from 2024 Ballon d'Or winner Rodri, helping to provide the platform for leading front man Mikel Oyarzabal.
Real Sociedad striker Oyarzabal has weighed in with four of Spain's nine goals at this tournament, taking his tally to 17 in his past 17 starts for La Roja.
Barcelona wonderkid Lamine Yamal has not yet hit top gear, scoring his only goal in Spain's 4-0 group stage win over Saudi Arabia, but is gradually returning to full fitness.
However, Spain's tally of nine goals in this tournament is the joint fewest, alongside Switzerland, of the eight quarter-finalists.
It is at the other end of the pitch where the Spaniards have built the foundations of their latest World Cup challenge, as the only team yet to concede.
"You feel there is so much more to come from Spain," said former England striker Chris Sutton on BBC Radio 5 Live.
"The fact that they are not conceding is ominous for other teams. Their toughest test will come against France if they both win their games [in the last eight].
"I think Spain are capable of beating France but they'll have to be near perfect on the day."
Goals scored by the quarter-finalists before the last-eight ties:
*= France scored another two goals in their quarter-final win over Morocco, to take their total tally to 16 for the tournament
Spain v Belgium (20:00 BST)
Belgium may have one of the worst defensive records of the quarter-finalists and are facing the only team that has not yet conceded, but they have had no problems scoring.
Only France and Argentina have scored more than Belgium, of the teams in the last eight.
While Spain are yet to really fire, as an attacking unit...
Spain v Belgium (20:00 BST)
Belgium, meanwhile, have endured some difficult moments in their route to the quarter-finals.
They had to beat New Zealand in their final group game to progress into the knockout stages and team-mates Leandro Trossard and Youri Tielemans had to be separated in their last-32 tie against Senegal, before they linked up to help the side come back from two goals down to win 3-2 after extra time.
Yet a politically-charged 4-1 win over the USA in the last 16 looks to have galvanised them ready for what is sure to be a stern test against Spain...
Tielemans and Trossard go from fighting to rescuing Belgium
Spain v Belgium (20:00 BST)
Spain boast the meanest defence of the eight World Cup quarter-finalists.
They are yet to concede a goal in this tournament, keeping a clean sheet in each of their five matches so far.
Luis de la Fuente's European champions are the only team yet to be breached at the tournament and the first team in World Cup history to keep a clean sheet in six consecutive matches, stretching back to a goalless draw in the last 16 in 2022, when they lost to Morocco on penalties.
Should Spain win the tournament without conceding they would be the first to do so - they currently share the record with France (1998) and Italy (2006) as the World Cup champions with the fewest goals conceded, letting in just two goals on the way to the 2010 title.
Goals conceded by the quarter-finalists before the last-eight ties:
* - Also kept a clean sheet in Thursday's quarter-final win over Morocco
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Who are you going for on this one?
Opta are rating Spain's chances of winning the quarter-final as 58.3%.
Belgium are being given a 19.1% chance of winning, slightly less than the chance of the match ending in a draw - 22.6% - and going to penalties.
So Spain are heavy favourites - do you think that is right?
Click 'Get Involved' to have your say...
Spain v Belgium (20:00 BST)
Chris Sutton
Former England forward
I thought Spain were miles off it in the final third against Portugal in the last 16.
I was covering the game for Radio 5 Live and a big part of why they struggled was because Lamine Yamal was up against Nuno Mendes and did not have the beating of him.
Mikel Oyarzabal missed a good early chance for Spain, but after that they didn't really get going until two of their substitutes, Ferran Torres and Mikel Merino, combined to win it for them late on.
Spain still haven't conceded a goal which is impressive, but my prediction here is really based on me thinking they cannot be as bad in attack again.
Belgium took USA apart last time out, but it's hard to read much into that because I am not really sure if it was down to how bad the USA were on the day.
Spain are obviously a much harder test anyway, but Amadou Onana's injury is a blow for Belgium's midfield.
I just feel like Spain will dominate the ball and Belgium will have to play on the counter-attack.
Will they hurt Spain? No.
Will they be the first team to score against them? Another no, I'm afraid.
I'm quite surprised Belgium have made it this far, but they are not going any further.
Sutton's prediction: 3-0
AI's prediction: 2-0
Spain v Belgium (20:00 BST)
Right, let's focus on tonight's second World Cup quarter-final - Spain v Belgium in Los Angeles (20:00 BST).
The winners face the daunting prospect of a semi-final against tournament favourites France.
Who will pick up that poisoned chalice?
Chris Sutton can only see one outcome...
Norway v England (Sat, 22:00 BST)
BBC Radio 5 Live
Image source, Getty ImagesBefore we leave this subject and look ahead to Spain v Belgium, Nicky Campbell held a football phone-in about Norway v England on BBC Radio 5 Live this morning, starting with chat about Saturday's quarter-final before delving into the history of the Vikings.
Click the link to find out more.
Here's what some of the callers had to say:
Kenny, Middlesbrough: "I think we will beat Norway. I’m always a glass half full. I’m always confident. So far, we have played teams we should beat. Whilst Southgate did many good things for the England team - and the supporters and country - the one thing he couldn’t do was get past the teams that on paper were better than us. That’s where an elite manager like Thomas Tuchel might make the difference."
Ragnhild, Norway fan in Liverpool: "Football, you can’t predict it. Anything can happen. The underdog can always do it. I do think Norway are the underdog facing England. Norway are so full of confidence, joy, togetherness and energy. They have nothing to lose. They have already completely thrilled their nation and brought us together in a way I’ve never seen before. Norway can go into this game with low shoulders and smiles on their faces, they have already basically won this tournament - in the way of playing for themselves and their country. And that’s a great starting point in winning a football game. England are carrying this immense pressure and 60 years of hurt."
Michael, Reading: "Tuchel is a tournament specialist. You may not like his tactics. He plays to win. Erling Haaland’s comments in the press also indicates he’s nervous, he’s trying to put pressure on England. No-one predicted us to get through Mexico, I think we are surprising people. I think we can go the distance. It pains me to say I’ve been an England fan for as long as I remember, but I do believe in Tuchel."
Norway v England (Sat, 22:00 BST)
BBC 5 Live Breakfast
Image source, Getty ImagesNorwegian actor Kristofer Hivju, who played Tormund Giantsbane in Game of Thrones, on what the World Cup means to the Norwegian people:
"It has been 28 years since we were in this competition, so we have been preparing for 28 years.
"When we beat Italy twice [in qualifying], that's when we felt like everything was possible.
"To be in the quarter-finals, it's the first time in our history, I think, so for us, this little country of Vikings, we are ready for battle."
On the team and fans using Viking symbolism: "Image is everything, isn't it? The funny thing is that in Norwegian culture we haven't really used these Viking symbolics so much because it has a rough history as well - it goes both ways. But in this case it is nice to see how it blossoms in a fun way."
And he whispers: "There are Vikings still around, right?"
Finally, on talismanic striker Erling Haaland, Hivju breaks into a menacing belly laugh: "He has found the right recipe to become a half god, I can tell you that! He's amazing. He loves the game, he loves football and you can see that joy spreading in every aspect of his game. So we love Haaland."
Image source, Getty ImagesWe know at least one famous Viking (?) who would have been hitting the thumbs down on that last post...
Norway v England (Sat, 22:00 BST)
So there we have it - a full, thorough build-up to England's World Cup quarter-final against Norway tomorrow night.
We're less than 36 hours away from kick-off. How are we feeling, Three Lions fans?
Thumbs up for an England win (and one step closer to a potential extra Bank Holiday!).
Thumbs down for a Norway win.
Image source, Getty ImagesNorway v England (Sat, 22:00 BST)
England
Manchester City and England's Nico O'Reilly on coping with the weather in Miami: "It is going to be hot. Up to now we have played in cool conditions, I'd say. But we are ready for it.
"We had pre-camp over there, so I think we have acclimatised well to the weather. I've seen maybe there could be storms or something like that, so we will see."
Norway v England (Sat, 22:00 BST)
And finally, from Dr Lee Taylor: Are England ready for the heat?
"Ever since their season finished, which was different times for different players in the squad, they've been building this base of heat acclimation or acclimatisation, which is the gold standard method to protect their health and performance in the heat.
"And they can do that with playing matches and training in a hot environment, or they can combine that with some acclimation exposures. So that's perhaps having a training session in a temperate environment and engaging in some hot water immersion or sauna bathing, for example
"It's almost irrelevant what they've been doing, whether it's these sauna bathing exposures, natural heat exposures. They've been getting those exposures into the players pretty consistently as they had two hot bases. They've done some work in Miami, they've been camping in Kansas.
"So we're fairly certain that those players are acclimated or climatised.
"Admittedly, they haven't been able to really test that in a game environment, but we're not too concerned about that because we know they've acquired those physiological adaptations."
Norway v England (Sat, 22:00 BST)
More from Dr Lee Taylor on how England and Norway are coming into the match in Miami:
"Playing in the heat is much more tiring than playing in a temperate environment.
"The Norwegian side have played four pretty warm games, and the one in New Jersey was particularly hot. Really, if you're a performance scientist, you're probably quite pleased about that, because we know that's going to increase their fatigue on the back of a very busy season. Whereas the England players had the tough game in Mexico, but it didn't go to extra time and it wasn't hot.
"So it's a bit of a quid pro quo. I think England are in a really good position, and I'd probably rather have the set of the scenario that England have evolved through, rather than which Norway have, based on the fatigue that the players have acquired.
"And I think probably looking at the games, Norway quite haven't quite got the squad that England have got. England have been probably using the majority of their substitutes in most games and managing that fatigue as well."
Image source, Getty ImagesNorway v England (Sat, 22:00 BST)
Dr Lee Taylor from Loughborough University, a leading expert in elite athlete performance and the challenges of heat and altitude, spoke to BBC Sport about the conditions England will face when they play Norway in Miami.
"I think for the Miami game, the thing to note is that the stadium is outside with a covered roof, so humidity can build up in parts of it. It's not a free-flowing air environment – it's known as a hot, humid stadium.
"Even though the predicted temperature is only around 28C, I believe it's going to feel a lot hotter during the game. Humidity levels are expected to be very high. There's also very little wind, which is something you really want in a hot environment, especially when it's humid.
"The challenge with humidity is that, if we're in a very hot, dry environment – say it's 32C, with low humidity and a strong wind – humans are actually very efficient at losing heat. That's because the wind helps sweat evaporate more quickly, and sweating is the best way for us to cool down."
Image source, Getty ImagesNorway v England (Sat, 22:00 BST)
Although England have plenty of experience at this stage of the World Cup, Saturday night's match against Norway in Miami is likely to bring its own challenges, with athlete performance expert Dree Lee Taylor insisting the conditions will be "hot and humid".
But just how much of an impact will that have on Thomas Tuchel's players?
Norway v England (Sat, 22:00 BST)
England
This will be the 11th quarter-final England's men's team have reached at the World Cup.
The Three Lions have reached the quarter-final stage in three consecutive tournaments - 2018, 2022 and 2026.
England have only won three of their 10 previous quarter-finals, including in 2018, when they beat Sweden to reach the semi-finals.
At the last World Cup in 2022, England lost 2-1 to France in the last eight.
England's World Cup quarter-finals:
| Team | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Goals For | Goals Against | Goal Difference | Points | Form, Last 6 games, Oldest first |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 6 | 9 |
| |
| 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | -1 | 4 |
| |
| 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 3 | -1 | 3 |
| |
| 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 6 | -4 | 1 |
|
| Team | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Goals For | Goals Against | Goal Difference | Points | Form, Last 6 games, Oldest first |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 3 | 4 | 7 |
| |
| 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 3 | 5 | 4 |
| |
| 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 6 | -1 | 4 |
| |
| 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 10 | -8 | 1 |
|
| Team | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Goals For | Goals Against | Goal Difference | Points | Form, Last 6 games, Oldest first |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 1 | 6 | 7 |
| |
| 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 7 |
| |
| 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 4 | -3 | 3 |
| |
| 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 8 | -6 | 0 |
|
| Team | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Goals For | Goals Against | Goal Difference | Points | Form, Last 6 games, Oldest first |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 4 | 4 | 6 |
| |
| 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 4 |
| |
| 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | -2 | 4 |
| |
| 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 5 | -2 | 3 |
|
| Team | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Goals For | Goals Against | Goal Difference | Points | Form, Last 6 games, Oldest first |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 10 | 4 | 6 | 6 |
| |
| 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 6 |
| |
| 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 4 |
| |
| 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 9 | -8 | 1 |
|
| Team | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Goals For | Goals Against | Goal Difference | Points | Form, Last 6 games, Oldest first |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 10 | 4 | 6 | 7 |
| |
| 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 7 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| |
| 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 4 |
| |
| 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 12 | -10 | 0 |
|
| Team | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Goals For | Goals Against | Goal Difference | Points | Form, Last 6 games, Oldest first |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 2 | 4 | 5 |
| |
| 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 5 |
| |
| 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| |
| 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 10 | -6 | 1 |
|
| Team | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Goals For | Goals Against | Goal Difference | Points | Form, Last 6 games, Oldest first |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 7 |
| |
| 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 3 |
| |
| 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 4 | -1 | 2 |
| |
| 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 5 | -4 | 2 |
|
| Team | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Goals For | Goals Against | Goal Difference | Points | Form, Last 6 games, Oldest first |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 2 | 8 | 9 |
| |
| 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 7 | 1 | 6 |
| |
| 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 6 | 2 | 3 |
| |
| 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 12 | -11 | 0 |
|
| Team | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Goals For | Goals Against | Goal Difference | Points | Form, Last 6 games, Oldest first |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 1 | 7 | 9 |
| |
| 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 4 |
| |
| 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 7 | -2 | 4 |
| |
| 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 8 | -5 | 0 |
|
| Team | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Goals For | Goals Against | Goal Difference | Points | Form, Last 6 games, Oldest first |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 7 |
| |
| 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 5 | 5 |
| |
| 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 4 |
| |
| 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 11 | -9 | 0 |
|
| Team | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Goals For | Goals Against | Goal Difference | Points | Form, Last 6 games, Oldest first |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 2 | 4 | 7 |
| |
| 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 6 |
| |
| 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 4 |
| |
| 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 4 | -4 | 0 |
|
| Team | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Goals For | Goals Against | Goal Difference | Points | Form, Last 6 games, Oldest first |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 4 |
| |
| 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 4 |
| |
| 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 4 |
| |
| 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 4 |
| |
| 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 6 | -1 | 4 |
| |
| 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 7 | -2 | 4 |
| |
| 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | -2 | 4 |
| |
| 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 6 | 2 | 3 |
| |
| 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| |
| 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 3 | -1 | 3 |
| |
| 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 4 | -3 | 3 |
| |
| 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 4 | -1 | 2 |
|
