Available in USThe quarter-finals opened at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough on July 9 with only one fixture — and France made it look routine. A 2–0 win over Morocco booked a third consecutive World Cup semi-final for Didier Deschamps’ side, but it was the Golden Boot subplot that stole the late headlines: Kylian Mbappé’s 60th-minute strike was his eighth of the tournament, pulling him level with Lionel Messi at the top of the scoring charts and one behind Messi’s all-time career record of 21. If you are tracking the outright market from Canada, France have shortened into clear favouritism overnight — and the remaining bracket is starting to look like theirs to lose.
France 2–0 Morocco — Dominance in Numbers
This was a replay of the 2022 semi-final, and it followed a similar script. France controlled the game from the opening whistle — 21 shots to Morocco’s 4, roughly 3.0 expected goals to 0.1 per media estimates — but had to wait until the hour mark to break through. Mbappé, who had missed a first-half penalty, made no mistake when the second chance came: a cool finish to open the scoring at 60 minutes, and Ousmane Dembélé doubled the lead six minutes later with his fifth of the tournament.
France remain the only team in the draw on a perfect record — six wins from six, all inside 90 minutes, no extra time needed. It is a ruthless run that Deschamps himself called a source of pride.
Morocco Out — Africa’s Last Team Gone
Morocco’s exit ends the continent’s representation in the 2026 bracket. The Atlas Lions, now coached by Mohamed Ouahbi after Walid Regragui’s departure in March, carried a young squad deep into the tournament but met a France side operating at a different level. For Canadian observers who watched Morocco dismantle our own side 3–0 in the Round of 16, the scoreline underlines exactly how steep the quarter-final hill was.
The Golden Boot Race Heats Up
The scoring chart is now a two-horse race at the top:
| Player | Team | Goals | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kylian Mbappé | France | 8 | Active (SF1, 14 Jul) |
| Lionel Messi | Argentina | 8 | Active (QF4 vs Switzerland, 11 Jul) |
| Erling Haaland | Norway | 7 | Active (QF3 vs England, 11 Jul) |
| Harry Kane | England | 6 | Active (QF3 vs Norway, 11 Jul) |
Mbappé is now one career World Cup goal behind Messi’s all-time record of 21 (Mbappé on 20), and the books have reacted. FOX and Covers now make Mbappé the Golden Boot favourite at around 1.95 decimal, while FanDuel still prices Messi shorter at roughly 2.20 — a genuine disagreement between the major books that creates an interesting split for value hunters.
The Outright Market — France Pull Clear
France’s dominant quarter-final has compressed the outright picture. The overnight move was sharp:
| Market | Selection | Odds (decimal) | As of (ET) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Outright winner | France | 2.35–2.46 | July 9, 2026 |
| Outright winner | Spain | 4.70–5.78 | July 9, 2026 |
| Outright winner | Argentina | 4.90–5.43 | July 9, 2026 |
| Outright winner | England | 5.60–6.41 | July 9, 2026 |
| Outright winner | Norway | 15.89 | July 9, 2026 |
| Outright winner | Belgium | 31.0–47.62 | July 9, 2026 |
| Outright winner | Switzerland | 31.0–52.63 | July 9, 2026 |
Source: Kalshi exchange via Covers / FanDuel via FOX, decimal, Canadian standard. Ranges reflect book-to-book variation; confirm the live price before staking.
France moved from roughly 2.80 before the quarter-final to 2.35–2.46 after — a significant tightening. Spain and Argentina sit as joint second-favourites, though whether Spain or Argentina ranks higher depends on the book: FanDuel has Spain ahead, Kalshi has Argentina. England are just behind both at around 6.00.
What Comes Next
Three quarter-finals remain before the semi-final picture is complete:
- Today (July 10): Spain vs Belgium, 3:00 PM ET, SoFi Stadium, Los Angeles — the winner faces France in SF1 on July 14 in Dallas.
- Saturday (July 11): Norway vs England, 5:00 PM ET, Hard Rock Stadium, Miami; Argentina vs Switzerland, 9:00 PM ET, Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City. Those winners meet in SF2 on July 15 in Atlanta.
- France beat Morocco 2–0 (Mbappé 60′, Dembélé 66′) to reach a third straight World Cup semi-final.
- Mbappé’s 8th goal pulls him level with Messi atop the Golden Boot standings; he is one career WC goal behind Messi’s all-time record of 21.
- France shortened overnight to 2.35–2.46 for the outright title — the clear market favourite.
- Morocco are eliminated — Africa has no remaining teams in the bracket.
- Three QFs remain: Spain–Belgium today, Norway–England and Argentina–Switzerland on Saturday.
For the full QF breakdown see our quarter-final bracket analysis, today’s game is picked in the July 10 predictions, and the deep dive on this afternoon’s tie is in the Spain vs Belgium preview. Track the futures on the World Cup 2026 odds hub.
Odds reflect media-reported decimal lines as of July 9, 2026 and will move. 19+, please bet responsibly and only where legal in your province. New customers can compare current World Cup pricing with partners such as Boomerang Bet and Rabona, with stakes and returns in CAD.
