Today, July 8, the FIFA World Cup 2026 schedule in Kyiv time is empty — the tournament has taken a well-earned break between the round of 16 and the quarterfinals. But starting tomorrow evening, the World Cup returns with its hottest stage: four matches over three days will determine all four semifinalists. The headline event of the opening night is the France vs Morocco rematch — one that simply cannot be missed.
Daily schedule — WC 2026 quarterfinals in Kyiv time
- Thursday, July 9 — 23:00 Kyiv time. France vs Morocco (quarterfinal, Gillette Stadium, Foxborough/Boston)
- Friday, July 10 — 22:00 Kyiv time. Spain vs Belgium (quarterfinal, SoFi Stadium, Inglewood/Los Angeles)
- Saturday, July 12 — 00:00 Kyiv time. Norway vs England (quarterfinal, Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens)
- Saturday, July 12 — 04:00 Kyiv time. Argentina vs Switzerland (quarterfinal, Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City)
France vs Morocco: revenge for 2022
This is the match four years in the making. In the 2022 World Cup semifinal in Qatar, France defeated Morocco 2:0, halting the triumphant run of the "Atlas Lions" — the first African team in history to reach the semifinal. Now both sides meet again at the same stage, this time in the quarterfinals, and the stakes are even higher. The winner will face the victor of the Spain vs Belgium tie in the semifinals.
France cruised through the group stage flawlessly, scoring 14 goals in five matches and conceding just two. Kylian Mbappé leads the tournament's top scorers with seven goals — level with Messi and Haaland. Alongside him in attack are Ousmane Dembélé (4 goals, 2 assists), Michael Olise (5 assists), and Bradley Barcola. The only fitness concern: Aurélien Tchouaméni missed the round-of-16 match with a thigh injury — he is expected to return to the squad, but the coaching staff's final decision will be known closer to kick-off. Marcus Thuram is also recovering from a calf injury and is expected to be on the bench.
Morocco arrives at the match on a 34-game unbeaten run in international football. In the round of 16, the Atlas Lions comfortably dismantled Canada 3:0. Head coach Mohamed Ouahbi has built a compact and dangerous counter-attacking side — with goalkeeper Yassine Bounou and right-back Achraf Hakimi as key figures. There are doubts over Ismaïl Saïbari (hamstring injury): he played just 22 minutes against Canada. If Saïbari is unavailable, Rahimi is expected to lead the line. Central midfielder Azzedine Ounahi is Morocco's most dangerous player between the lines: his ability to receive the ball under pressure and turn is the main tactical challenge for the French press.
Spain vs Belgium: Friday, 22:00 Kyiv time
The second quarterfinal brings together two European heavyweights. Spain and Belgium have already crossed paths at this World Cup at earlier stages — and now their paths have crossed again. The winner advances to the semifinal against France or Morocco. The match will be held at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood (Los Angeles), with kick-off at 15:00 ET / 22:00 Kyiv time.
Norway vs England and Argentina vs Switzerland: Saturday night
Saturday's two matches are for true night-owl fans. Norway, with Erling Haaland (also among the top scorers), face England at 00:00 Kyiv time in Miami. The detailed quarterfinal and final round-of-16 schedule has already been published on the site. The quarterfinal programme wraps up with the blockbuster clash between Argentina and Switzerland at 04:00 Kyiv time in Kansas City: Messi and company just survived a dramatic comeback against Egypt (3:2), while Switzerland edged past Colombia on penalties.
Find the quarterfinal results in the evening editions of Night Mundial and in the morning digest the following day — right after the final whistle.
Photo: Al Jazeera Staff · Editorial (source)
