The FIFA World Cup 2026 quarterfinals are right on the horizon as some major clashes headline the remainder of the knockout phase. Morocco’s tactical versatility will be up against Kylian Mbappe and France’s might; England’s all-round power will have a major Elring Haaland test, while Lamine Yamal-starrer Spain go up against Kevin De Bruyne’s Belgium. Finally, Lionel Messi and Argentina’s might will face a high-flying Switzerland side.ย
There have been some shocking eliminations in the tournament, with none bigger than Paraguay’s giant-killing of Germany in the round of 32. England survived a massive scare against DR Congo in the round of 16 and also a stern Mexican test in the round of 16. Argentina were almost out in their title defence if not for a remarkable comeback in the final 14 minutes of regulation time against Egypt in a 3-2 pre-quarters win.ย
France’s might and patience were tested against Paraguay, while Spain edged past Portugal in the pre-quarters after motoring past Austria in the round of 32. Like Argentina, Belgium survived a major scare from Senegal in the round of 32, as they were 0-2 down till 85 minutes but escaped in extra time 3-2. Switzerland eased past Algeria in the round of 32 but were pushed to the limits in the last 16 with a 4-3 win on penalties against Colombia.
How to watch World Cup QFs for free?
Meanwhile, in good news for the fans, spectators can watch the quarterfinals for free on Doordarshan Sports on TV. The free-to-air channel will be telecasting the World Cup matches from the quarterfinals onwards on television. This remains applicable for all the quarterfinals, including the France vs Morocco clash at the Boston Stadium.ย
Tata Play has Unite8 channels, but they are not free and can be added either as a paid ร la carte add-on or as part of a premium subscription pack. Also, for users with JioFiber connections, the two Unite8 channels run free digitally.ย Meanwhile, Zee5 streams matches online with a subscription.ย
What are the timings of the quarterfinals?
The France vs Morocco clash will kick off on Friday at 1:30 AM (IST), while the Spain vs Belgium match will be next on Saturday from 12:30 AM onwards (IST). The Haaland-Harry Kane face-off will be next on Sunday from 2:30 AM (IST) onwards, while Argentina’s clash against Switzerland will be the last quarterfinal, beginning on Sunday at 6:30 AM (IST).
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