The World Cup has entered a rare lull, with no matches scheduled for July 8, marking the first day without a game since the tournament opened on June 11. This brief intermission follows weeks of nonstop action that began on June 11 and has already delivered countless twists and thrilling moments.
The next step in the competition arrives on July 9, when France takes on Morocco in a highly anticipated quarterfinal clash. The match is set for a 4 p.m. Eastern Time kickoff at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, a venue that will host one of the tournament’s most eagerly awaited encounters.
That game is the first of three quarterfinal fixtures scheduled across July 9, 10 and 11. The eight teams that have survived the group stage — Spain, Morocco, Norway, France, England, Belgium, Argentina and Switzerland — will each contest a place in the semifinals.
Quarterfinal Matchups
Spain will meet Belgium at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, while Norway takes on England at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida. Argentina and Switzerland are slated to face each other at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri, completing a diverse slate of venues that showcase the geographic breadth of the tournament.
The semifinals are set for July 14 and 15, after which the competition will move toward its climax with the third‑place match on July 18 and the final on July 19. These dates promise high stakes and dramatic narratives as the remaining teams battle for a place in history.
Fans across the United States and around the world will be watching closely as the quarterfinal stage unfolds, with each match offering a unique blend of skill, strategy and national pride. The schedule’s spread across multiple states underscores the tournament’s ambition to bring the world’s game to new audiences.