Unusual or predictable? How Europe is dominating the World Cup

European teams are dominating the 2026 World Cup, with six of the eight quarter-finalists coming from Europe: Belgium, England, France, Norway, Spain, and Switzerland. This is the most European sides to reach the last eight at a World Cup held outside of Europe since 1994. Historically, European teams have struggled at World Cups outside the continent, with only Spain in 2010 and Germany in 2014 winning such tournaments. Despite a slow start where seven of the first 10 European sides failed to win their opening group games, European teams have built momentum. Managers downplayed the impact of heat conditions, and by the end of the group stage, European teams had 17 wins against non-European teams. In the knockout rounds, European nations have impressed by dealing with adversity, such as England's win at the Azteca stadium and France's victory over Paraguay. Europe was awarded 16 places for the World Cup, more than any other confederation, but their dominance is still notable given the expanded 48-team format and the elimination of five-time winners Brazil and co-hosts Canada, Mexico, and the USA.