The expansion of the FIFA World Cup to 48 teams has increased global representation, but the tournament’s quarter-final lineup once again highlights Europe’s continued dominance on football’s biggest stage.
Of the eight teams that have reached the quarter-finals, six are from Europe—France, Spain, Belgium, England, Norway and Switzerland—while defending champions Argentina and Morocco are the only non-European nations still in contention.
Should all six European teams progress, the tournament could produce an all-European semi-final lineup, similar to the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.
Although the expanded format increased the number of participating nations from Africa, Asia and other regions, Europe’s presence at the business end of the competition remains largely unchanged. Africa, for example, fielded a record 10 teams at the 2026 tournament, double the five representatives it had at Qatar 2022.
However, Morocco stands as the continent’s sole remaining representative after becoming Africa’s only team to reach the last eight.
Football analysts continue to attribute Europe’s success to the concentration of elite clubs, advanced youth academies, superior infrastructure and stronger domestic leagues, which attract and develop many of the world’s best players.
Morocco’s progress reflects a blend of domestic investment and overseas talent development. While players such as Azzedine Ounahi emerged from the country’s Mohammed VI Football Academy, several key members of the squad—including Achraf Hakimi, Brahim Diaz, Noussair Mazraoui and Ayyoub Bouaddi—were born and developed in European football systems before representing Morocco internationally.
During their group-stage draw against Brazil, Morocco became the first team in FIFA World Cup history to field an entire starting eleven made up of foreign-born players.
Head coach Mohamed Ouahbi said both Morocco and their quarter-final opponents, France, have continued to improve since their memorable meeting at the 2022 World Cup.
“We have evolved, and so have France. Both federations have continued to build stronger teams over the last four years,” he said.
Argentina remain the only South American nation left in the competition. Although most of their players were born in Argentina, many—including captain Lionel Messi—developed their careers in Europe’s top leagues after moving abroad at a young age.
Brazil, meanwhile, suffered another disappointing campaign after their Round of 16 elimination by Norway. The defeat extended the Selecao’s unwanted record of losing every FIFA World Cup knockout match against European opposition since lifting the trophy in 2002, despite being coached by Italian manager Carlo Ancelotti.
Co-hosts United States also fell short of expectations after a heavy 4-1 defeat to Belgium ended hopes of reaching the quarter-finals for the first time since 2002.
Asia, which also enjoyed record representation with nine teams at the tournament, saw only Australia and Japan progress beyond the group stage, while Colombia’s impressive run ended in a penalty shootout defeat to Switzerland.
Switzerland, appearing in their first World Cup quarter-final since 1954, believe their experience against Europe’s elite clubs and national teams gives them confidence ahead of their clash with Argentina.
“This is a unique opportunity for us. We have seen that Argentina are not unbeatable,” Switzerland head coach Murat Yakin said.
As the tournament enters its decisive stage, the expanded World Cup has delivered broader participation, but Europe’s grip on the latter rounds remains as strong as ever.