All three World Cup host nations are out and the tournament suddenly feels wide open

[Midnight Wolf]

The 2026 FIFA World Cup has reached the quarter finals, and all three co host nations are eliminated, Canada fell to Morocco, Mexico lost to England, and the United States were beaten 4 to 1 by Belgium after a costly error from goalkeeper Matt Freese

Germany and the Netherlands both went out earlier than expected too, losing to Paraguay and Morocco respectively in the Round of 16, which has left several traditional heavyweights on the outside looking in in this expanded 48 team format

Argentina staged a late and controversial comeback to beat Egypt, with Lionel Messi scoring his eighth goal of the tournament in the process, while Switzerland needed penalties to get past Colombia and now face Argentina next in the quarter finals

Spain's win over Belgium in an earlier round was built around a standout individual performance from Lamine Yamal, and Spain now face France in Dallas in what is being billed as one of the marquee quarter final matchups between two of Europe's strongest sides

With the hosts gone, the expanded 48 team format is facing its first real test of whether it produces genuinely competitive knockout football or just a longer group stage before the usual contenders take over, and so far the tournament has leaned firmly toward chaos over predictability

World Cup Results Standings And Schedule Live Scores Group Stage Updates And How To Watch 050724193sports.yahoo.com

[Patrick94]

All three hosts going out feels almost symbolic for this expanded format, more teams does not automatically mean the home nations get an easier path through

[Ann]

That Matt Freese error against Belgium is going to sting for a long time, USMNT fans were genuinely building momentum before that game

[RayOfLight]

Messi still scoring in bunches at this stage of his career and this deep into a World Cup run is remarkable, eight goals already is a serious tally

[GhostRider41]

Spain vs France in the quarter finals might honestly be the best matchup of the whole knockout stage so far, two genuinely elite sides going head to head

[Blake_73]

Germany and Netherlands both crashing out early is a reminder that traditional footballing pedigree means very little once you get into single elimination football

[Anthony_51]

The 48 team format critics said would water down the tournament are having to eat their words a bit, this has been one of the more unpredictable World Cups in years

[Ellie85]

Switzerland needing penalties against Colombia and then drawing Argentina next feels like a brutal reward for surviving that shootout

[BigDog_Fan]

Genuinely gutted for Canada and Mexico as co hosts, there is something deflating about going out before the big knockout stages on your own home turf

[ParallelSelf90]

Lamine Yamal is going to be the story of this whole tournament if Spain keeps performing like this, that kid has been electric every match

[Urban Phoebe]

The exits of Canada, Mexico, and the USA have definitely changed the feel of this tournament. On one hand, it's a shame for the home crowds - there's something special about a host nation going deep. On the other, it's made the quarter-finals feel genuinely unpredictable. No one's walking into these matches as a lock.

[Comet Barrel]

Canada's loss to Morocco was probably the most gutting for North American fans. They had such a strong group stage, and then ran into a Moroccan side that just clicked at the right time. Mexico's defeat to England felt more like a tactical mismatch, while the USA's exit to Argentina was... well, Argentina in a knockout game is always tough.