The last two World Cup 2026 quarterfinals go down tonight. We break down Norway vs England and Argentina vs Switzerland with predictions and betting tips for Nigerian punters.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup quarterfinals wrap up today, Saturday, July 11, with two heavyweight ties. Norway face England at 22:00 WAT in Miami, then Argentina meet Switzerland at 02:00 WAT in Kansas City in the early hours of Sunday morning.
France and Spain have already booked their semifinal showdown in Dallas on July 14. France ended Morocco’s brilliant run on Thursday — the Atlas Lions were the last African side standing and went further than anyone else from the continent. Tonight’s winners meet in the second semifinal on July 15.
Nigerian fans have adopted plenty of second teams this tournament, and with the Premier League connection running through both squads tonight, these are matches worth staying up for. Here are our world cup 2026 quarterfinal predictions and best bets.
This is the tie of the round: Erling Haaland against Harry Kane, two of the deadliest strikers in world football, separated by a single goal in the Golden Boot race. Haaland has seven goals in four games. Kane sits on six for the tournament and 14 in World Cups overall.
Norway’s road here has been remarkable. They finished second in Group I after beating Senegal and Iraq, edged Ivory Coast 2-1 in the Round of 32, then stunned Brazil 2-1 to reach a first-ever World Cup quarterfinal. This is a proper team, not a one-man show — but the one man is scoring at a frightening rate.
England topped Group L with seven points, beating Croatia and Panama and drawing with Ghana — the Black Stars’ best result of the tournament before Colombia ended their run. You can relive that group battle in our full Ghana World Cup 2026 guide. In the knockouts, England came from behind to beat DR Congo, then won a thriller 3-2 against co-hosts Mexico at the Azteca.
Team news matters here. England are without Jarell Quansah (suspended) and Jordan Henderson (broken wrist), while Marc Guehi and Reece James are fitness doubts. Norway, meanwhile, have been hit by a sickness bug in camp, with several players struggling in final training. A patched-up England defence against Haaland — and a possibly weakened Norway press — is exactly the kind of storyline that keeps punters interested.
### Our tips for Norway vs England
England to win (approx. 1.95 on Bet9ja) looks fair value. They have the deeper squad, and their model probability of advancing sits around 65 per cent. But with defensive absentees on one side and Haaland on the other, both teams to score (approx. 1.70) is the pick we fancy most. Over 2.5 goals at around 1.85 also looks strong value given England’s 3-2 and Norway’s back-to-back 2-1 wins.
Prediction: England 3-2 Norway after a nervy night.
The defending champions have won all five matches, and Lionel Messi — at 39 — leads the tournament with eight goals. But this has not been a cruise. Argentina needed extra time to see off Cape Verde 3-2 in the Round of 32, then trailed Egypt by two goals with 12 minutes left before storming back to win 3-2 in the Round of 16.
Switzerland are the opposite: quiet, organised, ruthless. They won their group, dismissed Algeria 2-0, then knocked out Colombia on penalties. They are unbeaten in regulation all tournament, and goalkeeper Gregor Kobel has been outstanding. Their concern is the fitness of Johan Manzambi, who is battling a knee problem — his direct running is exactly the weapon that troubled Argentina’s narrow midfield in the last two rounds.
Cape Verde and Egypt both found joy attacking the space behind Argentina’s advancing full-backs. If Manzambi passes fit, Switzerland have the tools to do the same. The question is whether they carry enough goal threat to punish the champions rather than merely frighten them.
### Our tips for Argentina vs Switzerland
Argentina to win in 90 minutes is priced around 1.68 on SportyBet, with Switzerland out at 6.00 and the draw near 3.50. The form suggests Argentina find a way — they always have — but the value angle is Argentina to win and under 4.5 goals, or Messi to score anytime at approximately 2.30. Switzerland’s block will keep this tighter than Argentina’s recent 3-2 chaos, so under 3.5 goals at around 1.60 appeals too.
Prediction: Argentina 2-1 Switzerland, with Messi involved in something decisive.
Win tonight and the prize is enormous: a July 15 semifinal against the winner of the other bracket’s survivor, with France vs Spain on July 14 completing the last-four picture. An England vs Argentina semifinal — Kane against Messi — would be a genuine classic in the making, and the neutral’s dream across Lagos, Abuja and Port Harcourt viewing centres.
For the full match schedule and official team news, check FIFA.com.
Both matches are live on SuperSport, with kick-offs at 22:00 WAT and 02:00 WAT. If you’re placing a bet tonight, compare prices across Bet9ja, SportyBet and BetKing before kick-off — quarterfinal odds move quickly once team news drops. New to betting or looking for a better bookie? See our guide to the best betting sites in Nigeria.
Remember: no bet is a certainty, least of all in knockout football. Stake only what you can afford to lose, and treat tonight as entertainment first. 18+. Bet responsibly.
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