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Spain vs Belgium Prediction & Best Bets: World Cup 2026 Quarter-Final

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The second World Cup 2026 quarter-final pits Spain against Belgium in Inglewood at 8pm on Friday 10th July.

Read on for the best Spain vs Belgium predictions, tips, and the latest team news ahead of kick-off.

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Spain vs Belgium Preview

Spain may have struggled to find the breakthrough in their opening goalless draw against Cape Verde, but they responded with four straight wins to nil, becoming the first country in World Cup history to keep six successive clean sheets (including their final game in 2022).

Belgium’s route to the quarter-finals has been far more eventful. After opening with successive draws against Egypt and Iran, the Red Devils discovered their attacking spark with a 5-1 win over New Zealand before producing a remarkable comeback against Senegal in the round of 32. Trailing late on, Belgium struck in the 86th and 89th minute to force extra time before converting a dramatic 125th-minute penalty to progress. They then carried that momentum into the last 16, where they swept aside co-hosts the United States 4-1.

What’s at Stake

A place in the World Cup 2026 semi-finals is on the line as Spain and Belgium meet at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles. Spain, the 2010 world champions, are bidding to reach the last four for the first time since lifting the trophy in South Africa. Belgium, third-place finishers in 2018, are chasing what would be their best result since that remarkable run in Russia, and arrive in this quarter-final on the back of a 4-1 demolition of the United States in the round of sixteen.

Having scored 12 goals across their last three matches, Belgium will fancy their chances of breaching Spain’s stubborn defence. However, the bookmakers still make Spain the clear favourites at 8/13 to win in 90 minutes, with Belgium priced at 5/1 to pull off the upset, and the draw available at 3/1.

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Verdict

Spain are the well-justified favourites at 8/13, having won all four of their knockout and group matches that ended in a result, with a settled system under Luis de la Fuente that has conceded just twice in five World Cup fixtures. At 5/1, Belgium represents long odds for a side that hammered the tournament hosts in the last round, but Spain’s control in midfield and their superior tournament consistency make a home win the most credible outcome here.

Predicted Lineups

Spain Predicted XI (4-3-3): Unai Simon; Pedro Porro, Pau Cubarsí, Aymeric Laporte, Marc Cucurella; Rodri, Pedri, Mikel Merino; Lamine Yamal, Mikel Oyarzabal, Nico Williams

Predicted XI – squads to be confirmed.

Belgium Predicted XI (4-3-3): Thibaut Courtois; Timothy Castagne, Zeno Debast, Arthur Theate, Maxim De Cuyper; Youri Tielemans, Amadou Onana, Kevin De Bruyne; Jérémy Doku, Romelu Lukaku, Leandro Trossard

Predicted XI – squads to be confirmed.

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Key Tactical Matchup

The central battle that is likely to shape this World Cup 2026 quarter-final is the contest between Rodri and Kevin De Bruyne in the middle of the pitch. Rodri’s role as Spain’s defensive anchor, shielding the back four and dictating tempo from deep, is the platform from which everything else flows. De Bruyne, operating in a more advanced midfield role for Belgium, must find ways to receive the ball in between Spain’s lines and create moments of disorder. Spain have conceded just twice in five tournament matches, a record that reflects Rodri’s ability to compress space and cut off supply lines. If Belgium can move the ball quickly through midfield before Spain’s press engages, De Bruyne and Doku on the flank represent their most credible avenue to goal.

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France vs Morocco Predictions, Odds, Tips & Best Bets: Thursday, July 9 World Cup Match

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One of the World Cup favorites, France, begins a quarter-final showdown at the 2026 World Cup in Boston.

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What’s At Stake

France and Morocco meet again at the World Cup, four years after their 2022 semi-final showdown in Qatar, with a place in the last four of the 2026 World Cup on the line. For France, victory would maintain their status as the tournament’s outstanding side and keep alive a genuine shot at a third World Cup title. For Morocco, eliminating the reigning runners-up on American soil would surpass even their 2022 heroics and send a second African nation into the semi-finals for the first time.

Verdict

France are the standout pick to progress, with Kylian Mbappe’s seven goals in this tournament underlining a clinical edge Morocco will struggle to contain. A France win at 8/13 offers limited appeal in isolation, but backing the game to go under 2.5 goals at 10/11 reflects a Morocco side that has conceded just once across their five qualifying matches and showed defensive discipline in drawing with both Brazil and the Netherlands at this tournament.

France vs Morocco Match Preview

France arrive at Gillette Stadium having won all five of their World Cup 2026 matches, scoring 14 goals and conceding just two. Didier Deschamps’ side dispatched Senegal, Iraq, Norway, Sweden and Paraguay in succession, building momentum game by game with Mbappe operating at the peak of his powers. At 7/4 to lift the trophy outright, France enter this quarter-final as the tournament’s benchmark team.

Morocco’s route here has been less emphatic but no less impressive strategically. Walid Regragui’s side drew with Brazil and the Netherlands before beating Scotland and Haiti in the group stage, then produced a commanding 3-0 win over Canada in the round of 16. That blend of resilience against elite opposition and clinical finishing when space opens up is exactly the tactical profile that troubled France’s opponents throughout 2022, and Regragui will back his side to repeat the formula.

The key question is whether Morocco can replicate the defensive organisation that carried them to the 2022 semi-final, when they held Portugal, Spain and Belgium without conceding from open play. France’s forward line, with Mbappe supported by Ousmane Dembele, Bradley Barcola and Michael Olise, is a more varied and unpredictable attacking threat than anything Morocco have faced so far. The World Cup 2026 knockout stage has already produced surprises, but France are the side that looks hardest to stop.

Team Form

France – last five World Cup 2026 matches:

Paraguay (A): Won 1-0
Sweden (H): Won 3-0
Norway (A): Won 4-1
Iraq (H): Won 3-0
Senegal (H): Won 3-1

France have won every match at this tournament, conceding only five goals in the process. Their highest-quality scalp remains Norway, beaten 4-1 in a performance that showcased France’s full attacking range. The 1-0 win over Paraguay, while narrow, demonstrated Deschamps’ ability to grind out results when the occasion demands a more conservative approach.

Morocco – last five World Cup 2026 matches:

Canada (A): Won 3-0
Netherlands (A): Drew 1-1
Haiti (H): Won 4-2
Scotland (A): Won 1-0
Brazil (A): Drew 1-1

Morocco’s draws with Brazil and the Netherlands are the most telling results. Holding two heavyweight sides to 1-1 scorelines underlines the defensive structure Regragui has built, and the 3-0 win over Canada in the last 16 showed Morocco are capable of more than containment when the opposition gives them room to counter.

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France vs Morocco Head-To-Head

These sides have met six times in total, with France winning three, drawing two and losing none. The most significant meeting is the most recent: France beat Morocco 2-0 in the 2022 World Cup semi-final at Al Bayt Stadium, ending the Atlas Lions’ historic run. Prior to that, the sides drew 2-2 in a friendly in November 2007. France’s overall head-to-head record in competitive fixtures is unblemished, and Morocco have never beaten France across all six encounters.

The 2022 semi-final remains the defining reference point for this fixture. Morocco had eliminated Spain and Portugal on that run before France proved a step too far. The 2026 quarter-final represents Morocco’s clearest opportunity yet for revenge, and the motivation within Regragui’s squad will not be in short supply heading into this rematch.

Team News

France have no significant injury concerns confirmed ahead of the quarter-final. The squad retains its full complement of attacking options, with Mbappe fit and in outstanding form having scored seven goals at this tournament. Deschamps has rotated selectively through the group stage, suggesting the core XI remains fresh for the knockout rounds. N’Golo Kante continues to provide experience in midfield, while William Saliba and Dayot Upamecano have formed a composed central defensive partnership throughout.

Morocco’s squad has also remained largely intact through five matches. Yassine Bounou has been the first-choice goalkeeper and their defensive shape, built around Nayef Aguerd and Achraf Hakimi’s aggressive right-back contributions, has been central to Regragui’s system. Sofyan Amrabat provides the midfield anchor, a role he filled with distinction in 2022. The absence of former long-term captain Romain Saiss, who retired from international duty in early 2026, removes a veteran voice but Morocco’s squad depth in defence has developed considerably since Qatar.

Ismael Saibari has been Morocco’s most effective attacking presence at this tournament with three goals, while Azzedine Ounahi and Soufiane Rahimi have added two apiece. Brahim Diaz, Morocco’s joint top scorer in recent fixtures with six goals, is the player most likely to unlock France’s defensive structure if given space to operate in the pockets between the lines.

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Predicted Lineups

France Predicted XI (4-3-3): Maignan; Koundé, Upamecano, Saliba, T. Hernandez; Tchouameni, Kante, Rabiot; Dembele (c), Mbappe, Barcola

Predicted XI – squads to be confirmed.

Morocco Predicted XI (4-3-3): Bounou; Hakimi, Aguerd, Riad, Mazraoui; Amrabat, Ounahi, Saibari; Diaz, El Kaabi, Rahimi

Predicted XI – squads to be confirmed.

Key Tactical Matchup

The contest between Kylian Mbappe and Morocco’s central defensive block is the axis around which this match will turn. Mbappe has scored seven goals in this tournament, operating centrally with licence to drift wide and exploit the channels. Nayef Aguerd and Chadi Riad will carry the primary responsibility for containing him, but Mbappe’s movement creates problems for the entire backline rather than just his direct marker. Morocco’s best defensive performances at this tournament came when their midfield, led by Sofyan Amrabat, sat deep and denied space in behind. Whether Amrabat can replicate that discipline against France’s varied forward rotation will be decisive.

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Norway vs England Prediction & Best Bets: World Cup 2026 Quarter-Final

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The 2026 FIFA World Cup quarter-finals have arrived, and one of the most intriguing match-ups of the round sees Norway take on England at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens.

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Norway are making history simply by being here, while England arrive as one of the pre-tournament favourites looking to go deep in the competition once again.

Both sides have shown they can score goals and handle knockout pressure in the rounds leading up to this fixture.

This article covers the World Cup 2026 quarter-final Norway vs. England predictions, odds, team news, predicted lineups and best bets to help inform your betting decisions ahead of kick-off.

Fixture Detail
Match Norway vs. England
Date Saturday, 11 July 2026
Kick-off 17:00 local (21:00 BST)
Venue Hard Rock Stadium, Miami (Miami Gardens), USA
Stage FIFA World Cup 2026 Quarter-Final
TV (UK) BBC iPlayer / ITVX

Verdict

England to win this World Cup 2026 quarter-final looks the most sensible call, given their stronger tournament form and the goal threat Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham have consistently provided across five games. At 10/11, the price is short but reflects a real edge in tournament depth and big-game composure for Thomas Tuchel’s side.

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What’s at Stake

A place in the World Cup 2026 semi-finals is on the line in Miami. Norway are appearing in just their fourth World Cup finals and have already surpassed their previous best finish by reaching the last eight for the first time in the country’s history. England, World Cup winners in 1966 and a side with considerable knockout-stage experience, will be determined to end Norway’s remarkable run and advance to the final four.

Norway vs. England Match Preview

Norway’s journey to this stage has been extraordinary. Under Ståle Solbakken, they navigated their group as runners-up behind France, then knocked out Ivory Coast and Brazil in successive rounds. Erling Haaland has been the driving force, contributing seven goals at this tournament, and Norway will look to him again to test an England defence that has conceded in its last three matches.

England, managed by Thomas Tuchel, have been progressively building momentum. Their 4-2 win over Croatia opened the campaign, a goalless draw with Ghana was the only blemish, and they followed it up with wins over Panama, DR Congo and Mexico. With Harry Kane on six goals and Bellingham on four, England carry genuine cutting edge into this World Cup knockout stage fixture.

The match shapes up as a battle between Norway’s directness and physical threat versus England’s structural discipline and quality in the final third. Whichever side controls the midfield space between the lines is likely to dictate the outcome.

Team Form

Norway – Last 5 World Cup 2026 Matches:

  • Iraq (A): Won 4-1 – FIFA World Cup
  • Senegal (H): Won 3-2 – FIFA World Cup
  • France (H): Lost 1-4 – FIFA World Cup
  •  Ivory Coast (A): Won 2-1 – FIFA World Cup
  •  Brazil (A): Won 2-1 – FIFA World Cup

Norway’s run of four wins from their last five games is impressive, though the 4-1 loss to France is a reminder that when the opposition presses high and moves the ball quickly, cracks can appear. Victories over Brazil and Ivory Coast show genuine knockout-stage credentials, but England are a different quality of opponent again.

England – Last 5 World Cup 2026 Matches:

  •        Croatia (H): Won 4-2 – FIFA World Cup
  •        Ghana (H): Drew 0-0 – FIFA World Cup
  •        Panama (A): Won 2-0 – FIFA World Cup
  •        DR Congo (H): Won 2-1 – FIFA World Cup
  •        Mexico (A): Won 3-2 – FIFA World Cup

England have won four of their last five and shown they can perform against diverse opposition. The 3-2 win over Mexico in the last round demonstrated resolve when pushed, but they have conceded in three of their last four games, which gives Norway hope that chances will come.

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 Norway vs. England Head-to-Head

These two nations have met 12 times in total. The most recent competitive encounters provide the most relevant context: Norway recorded a famous 2-0 win over England in 1993 World Cup qualifying, and Norway also beat England 2-1 in 1981 qualifying. England won friendlies in 2014 and 2012.

The historical record in competitive matches shows Norway are no pushover in this fixture and have caused England problems before. However, the 2012 and 2014 results show England have had the better of the recent meetings, and the quality gap at club level between the two nations is more pronounced now than it was in the 1990s.

There is no prior meeting between these sides at a major tournament, making Saturday’s World Cup 2026 quarter-final their first encounter at the knockout stage of a World Cup. 

Predicted Lineups

Norway (4-3-3): Nyland; Holmgren Pedersen, Ajer, Østigård, Bjørkan; Thorstvedt, Berge, Ødegaard (c); Nusa, Haaland, Sørloth

England (4-2-3-1): Pickford; James, Stones, Guéhi, Livramento; Rice, Mainoo; Saka, Bellingham, Rashford; Kane (c)

Predicted lineups based on available squad information – starting XI to be confirmed closer to kick-off.

Key Tactical Matchup

The most decisive duel of the match is likely to be Erling Haaland against the England centre-back pairing of John Stones and Marc Guéhi. Haaland has scored seven goals at this World Cup and is the most direct route to a Norway victory. Stones, with 88 caps and considerable experience in high-pressure games for Manchester City, and Guéhi, who has formed a composed partnership throughout the tournament, will need to restrict the space behind England’s defensive line. If Declan Rice can prevent the ball reaching Haaland in dangerous positions, England’s superior depth in midfield and attack gives Thomas Tuchel’s side the platform to advance.

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Norway vs. England Odds

The best available prices for the World Cup 2026 quarter-final Norway vs. England are shown in the table below, sourced from leading operators.

Outcome Best Price
Norway to Win 10/3
Draw 11/4
England to Win 10/11
Over 2.5 Goals 4/5
Under 2.5 Goals 6/5

Odds are subject to change and should be verified with your preferred operator before placing any bet. Norway’s World Cup outright winner price sits at 15/1 while England’s is 9/2, reflecting the broader market view on which side is better placed to go deep in this competition.

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OpenAI to Launch GPT-5.6 After U.S. Security Review, Launches GPT-Live – Real-Time Voice Models

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OpenAI will publicly launch GPT-5.6, its most advanced artificial intelligence model to date, on Thursday after delaying the release last month following requests from the U.S. government for additional national security reviews amid growing concerns over the potential misuse of increasingly powerful AI systems.

The launch comes as competition between the United States and China to develop next-generation AI models intensifies, with governments on both sides imposing tighter oversight on frontier AI technologies that could have significant military, intelligence and cybersecurity applications.

According to Axios, which first reported the launch, the Trump administration approved the broader release of GPT-5.6 after OpenAI completed additional safety testing and held a series of meetings with U.S. government officials.

U.S. officials have expanded scrutiny of advanced AI models over concerns that highly capable systems could accelerate sophisticated cyberattacks, automate vulnerability discovery, assist biological research or enhance military and intelligence operations if they become widely accessible to geopolitical rivals.

Security experts have warned that increasingly capable AI systems could help attackers identify weaknesses in critical infrastructure, including power grids, financial networks, telecommunications systems and industrial control systems that often rely on complex software and legacy technologies.

Washington has therefore intensified reviews of frontier AI releases to evaluate whether new models could pose unacceptable risks if exploited by hostile governments or state-backed cyber groups in countries such as China and Russia.

China has taken similar precautions.

Chinese regulators have reportedly held discussions with leading domestic technology companies over restricting overseas access to China’s most advanced AI models, including systems that have yet to be publicly released, reflecting growing concerns that frontier AI capabilities have become strategically important national assets.

During the review period, OpenAI limited GPT-5.6 access to a small group of vetted partners whose identities were shared with U.S. authorities. The restricted rollout enabled the company and government agencies to conduct additional evaluations before approving a wider release.

OpenAI announced in a post on X late Tuesday that it will introduce three new models to the public:

  • GPT-5.6 Sol, its flagship and most capable model.
  • GPT-5.6 Terra, a lower-cost alternative.
  • GPT-5.6 Luna, designed to provide more affordable access for developers and businesses.

In the AI industry, companies are adopting a multi-model strategy, increasingly offering premium, mid-tier, and lightweight models to serve different performance requirements and computing budgets.

When OpenAI previewed GPT-5.6 in late June, it highlighted significant improvements in so-called agentic capabilities, enabling the model to perform more complex multi-step tasks with greater autonomy. The company said the new generation delivers stronger performance across software engineering, biological research, and cybersecurity.

OpenAI also reported that GPT-5.6 Sol performed competitively against Anthropic’s Mythos Preview on ExploitBench, a benchmark designed to evaluate AI models’ cybersecurity capabilities.

Performance in cybersecurity has become one of the most closely watched measures for frontier AI because advances in offensive and defensive cyber capabilities could carry significant implications for governments, corporations and critical infrastructure operators.

Anthropic And Musk Also Expand AI Offerings

The GPT-5.6 launch follows a series of major announcements across the AI industry. OpenAI rival Anthropic temporarily disabled public access to its most advanced models, Mythos 5 and Fable 5, after the U.S. government’s June 12 export control order raised national security concerns about advanced AI technologies.

The restrictions were lifted last week after Anthropic implemented additional safeguards requested by U.S. authorities.

Meanwhile, billionaire Elon Musk said on Wednesday that his AI company, SpaceXAI, would also make its flagship Grok 4.5 model publicly available, further intensifying competition among leading AI developers.

The rapid succession of releases highlights the competitive race among OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, xAI, Meta Platforms, and Chinese AI developers to establish leadership in frontier model performance.

OpenAI Expands Into Real-Time Voice AI

Alongside GPT-5.6, OpenAI is also broadening its portfolio of multimodal AI products. On Wednesday, the company launched GPT-Live, a new family of real-time voice models capable of listening and speaking simultaneously, allowing conversations to flow more naturally without waiting for users to finish speaking.

The company said two versions, GPT-Live-1 and GPT-Live-1 mini, will be rolled out globally.

The models build on OpenAI’s strategy of making AI assistants more conversational and responsive, enabling them to support customer service, productivity tools, education and enterprise applications that require continuous spoken interaction.

The launch follows OpenAI’s introduction in May of three new audio models for developers, designed to make voice-based AI agents more natural and capable of completing tasks in real time.

Judge Approves SEC’s $1.5m Settlement With Elon Musk Over Twitter Share Disclosure, Cites ‘Significant Misgivings’

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A U.S. federal judge on Wednesday approved a settlement between the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and trillionaire Elon Musk over allegations that he failed to promptly disclose his purchases of Twitter shares in 2022, while making clear she had serious reservations about the agreement and the questions it raises about regulatory enforcement.

U.S. District Judge Sparkle Sooknanan, sitting in Washington, D.C., approved the settlement after concluding that her authority was limited to determining whether the agreement satisfied the minimum legal standards of fairness, adequacy and reasonableness.

In her ruling, however, Sooknanan said she had “significant misgivings” about the settlement and noted that it presented several “red flags,” suggesting the penalty may not fully address the conduct alleged by the SEC.

The judge said broader questions about whether the SEC had done enough to hold Musk accountable were matters for public debate and political oversight rather than judicial review.

“The Court’s role is not to determine whether the settlement is the best possible outcome or whether the SEC pursued the strongest available remedy,” the ruling effectively makes clear. Instead, the court’s responsibility is confined to evaluating whether the agreement complies with applicable legal standards.

Settlement Resolves Disclosure Dispute

Under the settlement, a trust established in Musk’s name will pay $1.5 million to resolve the SEC’s civil lawsuit without any admission or denial of wrongdoing.

The regulator alleged that Musk violated federal securities laws by waiting 11 days too long to disclose that he had accumulated more than a 5% stake in Twitter during March and April 2022.

Under U.S. securities regulations, investors acquiring more than 5% of a publicly traded company’s shares are generally required to disclose their holdings within a specified period through a filing with the SEC. The disclosure requirement is intended to provide transparency to the market by alerting investors that a significant shareholder has emerged.

According to the SEC, Musk’s delayed filing allowed him to continue purchasing Twitter shares at prices that did not yet reflect his growing ownership stake and the market’s likely reaction. The agency estimated that the delay enabled Musk to acquire additional shares at artificially lower prices, generating approximately $150 million in what it described as ill-gotten gains.

Musk has consistently denied intentionally violating securities laws, saying the late disclosure resulted from an inadvertent mistake rather than an effort to mislead investors.

The dispute concerns the early stages of Musk’s acquisition of Twitter, which ultimately culminated in his $44 billion purchase of the social media company in October 2022 after months of legal battles and negotiations.

Following the acquisition, Musk renamed the platform X as part of his broader vision of transforming it into an “everything app” integrating social media, payments, and artificial intelligence services. X now operates as part of SpaceX, Musk’s privately held aerospace and satellite company, while he also continues to serve as chief executive of electric vehicle maker Tesla.

Another Chapter In Musk’s Long-Running Battles With Regulators

The settlement adds to a lengthy history of legal disputes between Musk and the SEC. The regulator has repeatedly scrutinized Musk’s public statements and securities disclosures, most notably after his 2018 social media post claiming he had secured funding to take Tesla private.

That case resulted in a settlement requiring Musk and Tesla to pay $40 million in penalties and led to governance reforms, including oversight of certain communications that could affect investors.

The latest case is considerably narrower, focusing solely on compliance with disclosure requirements governing large share acquisitions. Even so, the judge’s unusually pointed criticism of the agreement is likely to draw attention because courts generally approve SEC settlements without extensive public commentary.

By emphasizing her “significant misgivings” while nonetheless approving the deal, Sooknanan highlighted the limited role judges play in reviewing settlements negotiated by federal regulators.

Her decision leaves the agreement intact while underscoring continuing debate over whether penalties imposed on some of the country’s most prominent corporate leaders are sufficient to deter future violations of U.S. securities laws.