The World Cup expanded to 48 teams, aiming for broader participation. Now only eight remain, six from Europe. Unless Morocco outperforms all expectations, the champion will hail from Europe or South America. This outcome remains consistent with history. Since the inaugural 1930 tournament, European nations have won 12 times, while South American teams secured 10 victories.

Currently, the quarterfinals feature six European teams, one South American, and one African. Erling Haaland of Norway expressed his surprise at his team’s performance, having secured a quarterfinal spot by defeating Brazil—an unprecedented achievement for Norway.

In contrast, the tournament host’s continent, North America, missed out on the quarterfinals. The U.S., Mexico, and Canada hosted the expanded event, yet none advanced past the round of 16. Christian Pulisic acknowledged the need for North American teams to overcome the next challenge of competing with the world’s best.

Entering the round of 32 with strong performances, the North American hosts had combined records of nine wins, two draws, and one loss, scoring a total of 20 goals. Yet, all three faced defeats in the round of 16—Mexico fell to England, the U.S. succumbed to Belgium, and Canada lost to Morocco.

“Levels,” noted Thierry Henry after the U.S. was eliminated, discussing the unique challenges of entering the later stages of the World Cup.

No CONCACAF team has reached the quarterfinals since Costa Rica in 2014, with the U.S.’s best run being in 2002. Mexico consistently reaches the round of 16 but struggles to progress further. Erik Lira of Mexico commented, “Everyone gave everything. But, in the end, it wasn’t enough.”

The 2002 World Cup saw diverse representation with five different confederations in the quarterfinals. Since then, Europe has secured 30 of 48 available quarterfinal spots, South America 14, Africa three, and North America one. Africa pinned hopes on Morocco this year, with nine of its 10 teams reaching the round of 32. Yet many met their end with last-minute goals.

Ivory Coast, South Africa, and Congo exited after late deciders. Cape Verde eliminated itself with an own goal against Argentina. Egypt and Senegal’s matches ended painfully—the former criticized officiating after a late loss to Argentina.

Argentina continues to demonstrate resilience, advancing to the quarterfinals for the fifth time in six tournaments. Lionel Messi reflected on overcoming challenges in knockouts, emphasizing teamwork and persistence.