Quarter-Final 1 of the FIFA World Cup 2026 takes place on Thursday 9 July 2026 at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts. The match is the first of four quarter-finals, with the winners advancing to Semi-Final 1 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas five days later.
What is the FIFA World Cup Quarter-Final?
The quarter-finals are the round that trims the World Cup knockout bracket from eight teams to four. Played over four matches in the span of three days, they are traditionally the stage at which the tournament’s pretenders are separated from its genuine contenders. At the 2026 World Cup, the first 48-team edition, teams reaching the quarter-finals will have already played six matches, with one further win required to reach the semi-finals.
The round is single-elimination. Extra time is played if scores are level after 90 minutes, followed by a penalty shootout if still tied. Five substitutes are permitted in regulation plus one additional in extra time. VAR, goal-line technology and semi-automated offside are all operational.
When is the FIFA World Cup 2026 Quarter-Final?
Quarter-Final 1 kicks off at 16:00 Eastern Time on Thursday 9 July 2026. That is 21:00 BST in the UK, 22:00 CEST across most of continental Europe, 13:00 on the US West Coast and 05:00 on Friday 10 July in Tokyo. The remaining three quarter-finals follow on 10, 11 and 12 July at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens and Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City.
Where is the FIFA World Cup 2026 Quarter-Final?
The match is being played at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, roughly 30 miles southwest of downtown Boston. Opened in 2002, Gillette Stadium is the home of the New England Patriots of the NFL and New England Revolution of Major League Soccer. The venue has a standard capacity of around 65,000, which for the World Cup is reduced slightly to approximately 64,000 following the installation of a temporary natural grass pitch over the usual artificial surface.
Gillette Stadium has previously hosted international football friendlies, Copa America Centenario group matches in 2016, Concacaf Gold Cup fixtures, and major college lacrosse championships. It is hosting seven matches at the 2026 World Cup in total, with group-stage games, a Round of 32 tie, a Round of 16 match and this quarter-final. Boston Logan International Airport is around 45 minutes away by road, and the stadium is served by commuter rail from Boston’s South Station on match days.
Key Contenders
The two teams meeting in Foxborough will be determined by the Round of 16 matches on 4 and 5 July. Before those ties are set, the likely contenders for a quarter-final place include reigning world champions Argentina, 2022 runners-up France, five-time winners Brazil, European champions Spain and 2014 champions Germany. England, Portugal, Netherlands, Belgium and Croatia are also realistic quarter-final sides based on form and ranking, while the three host nations all carry home advantage through the knockout rounds.
The 2022 quarter-finalists were Argentina, France, Croatia, Netherlands, Portugal, Morocco, Brazil and England. Argentina, France, Croatia and Morocco went through to the semi-finals on that occasion, with Morocco becoming the first African nation to reach the last four.
How to Watch
The quarter-final is available on free-to-air television in most major markets. BBC or ITV has the match in the United Kingdom as the two broadcasters share knockout coverage, with live streaming on BBC iPlayer and ITVX. FOX carries the match in the United States alongside the Fox Sports app, with Telemundo and Peacock providing Spanish-language coverage. TSN and CTV share rights in Canada, RDS covers the French-language feed, and TelevisaUnivision and TV Azteca share rights in Mexico. SBS and Optus Sport cover Australia, TF1 and beIN Sports share France, ARD and ZDF rotate in Germany, and beIN Sports holds exclusive rights across the Middle East and North Africa.
History and Records
World Cup quarter-finals have produced many of the tournament’s most memorable matches. The 1986 quarter-final between Argentina and England at the Estadio Azteca is the most famous of all, the match that produced Diego Maradona’s “Hand of God” goal and the “Goal of the Century” within four minutes of each other. In 1970 Italy beat Mexico 4-1 at the Azteca on their route to the semi-final “Game of the Century”.
The 2006 quarter-final between France and Brazil in Frankfurt, won 1-0 by France through a Thierry Henry goal, eliminated the pre-tournament favourites and sent France on to the Final. In 2014 the Netherlands beat Costa Rica on penalties after goalkeeper Tim Krul was brought on as a substitute seconds before the shootout. In 2018 Croatia beat Russia on penalties in Sochi after a 2-2 draw, while in 2022 Argentina beat Netherlands on penalties after blowing a 2-0 lead.
The largest crowd at a World Cup quarter-final was 114,600, when Brazil beat Poland 5-2 in Uruguay at the Maracana in 1950.
Tickets and Attendance
Tickets for the quarter-finals are allocated through FIFA.com, with On Location providing hospitality packages. Initial ticket prices for the quarter-finals started at around 655 US dollars for Category 4 seats reserved for host-country residents, with Category 1 seats priced from approximately 1,560 dollars. Availability is tight given how heavily oversubscribed the knockout rounds have been, and any remaining inventory is released via FIFA’s official resale platform ahead of the match.
Frequently Asked Questions
When does the FIFA World Cup 2026 quarter-final kick off?
Quarter-Final 1 kicks off at 16:00 Eastern Time on Thursday 9 July 2026, which is 21:00 BST.
Where is the quarter-final being held?
Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, near Boston.
How can I watch the FIFA World Cup 2026 quarter-final?
BBC or ITV in the UK, FOX and Telemundo in the United States, TSN and CTV in Canada, plus free-to-air broadcasters in most major markets.
What happens if the match is a draw?
Thirty minutes of extra time are played. If still level, a penalty shootout decides the winner.