The quarterfinals of the FIFA World Cup 2026 Quarterfinals take place from July 9 to July 11. Four matches. Four venues. Eight teams enter. Four move on to the semifinals. Here is a complete guide to the quarterfinal stage.

THE FOUR QUARTERFINAL VENUES

All four quarterfinals take place in the United States. The venues are:

SoFi Stadium, Inglewood, California (Los Angeles area)
Date: Thursday, July 10
Capacity: 70,000
SoFi has a fixed canopy roof that allows outside air to flow through. Located in Inglewood, roughly 20 minutes from downtown Los Angeles. This is the newest stadium in the tournament, opened in 2020. It is set to host the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2028 LA Olympics.

Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts (Boston area)
Date: Thursday, July 10
Capacity: 67,000
Home of the NFL's New England Patriots and MLS club New England Revolution. Boston is one of the most sports-passionate cities in the USA. The stadium is open air. July weather in Massachusetts is warm but manageable.

Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida (Miami area)
Date: Friday, July 11
Capacity: 65,000
Also hosts the Third-Place match on July 18. Miami brings an electric atmosphere to soccer games, particularly with its large Latin American fanbase in South Florida. Open air venue. July in Miami is hot and humid.

GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri
Date: Friday, July 11
Capacity: 76,000
Home of the NFL's Kansas City Chiefs. Guinness World Records has certified Arrowhead as the loudest outdoor sports venue in the world. Kansas City hosted Argentina vs. Algeria in the group stage. The crowd energy here will be extraordinary for a quarterfinal.

HOW TEAMS REACH THE QUARTERFINALS

Teams that win their Round of 16 match advance to the quarterfinals. The Round of 16 runs July 4 to July 6. That gives teams a minimum of three days to prepare before the quarterfinal kicks off July 9.

The quarterfinal bracket follows the structure set during the December 2025 draw. Spain and Argentina are in opposite halves. France and England are also split. If all four win their groups and advance, Spain vs. Argentina can only happen in the Final. France vs. England can only happen in the semifinals.

MATCH FORMAT

90 minutes of regular time. If tied: 30 minutes of extra time. If still tied: penalty shootout. There is no second leg and no away goals rule.

TWO QUARTERFINALS PER DAY

On July 10, Los Angeles and Boston both host a quarterfinal. On July 11, Miami and Kansas City both host a quarterfinal. Having two games per day keeps the momentum going and gives fans on both coasts a match to watch.

All four quarterfinal games will be on FOX or FS1 in English and Telemundo in Spanish. Given the stage of the tournament, expect prime-time scheduling for at least two of the four matches.

WHAT THE QUARTERFINALS MEAN

A quarterfinal exit at a World Cup is painful. Four teams will go home at this stage after coming so close. The four winners enter the final four and have a legitimate shot at the title.

For teams like the USA playing on home soil, reaching the quarterfinals would already match their best-ever result. Going further would be the greatest achievement in American soccer history.

For traditional powers like France, Spain, Brazil or England, anything less than a semifinal appearance would be considered a disappointment.