Why isn't there a World Fight today?

After a dramatic phase of the 1/8 of the final, where the biggest names of football fought for survival, FIFA has set a brief pause before the start of the quarterfinals.

A Need for Eight Best Breath

With the passing of the chaotic pace of the first stages toward the great quarterfinal drama, July 8th serves as the first official holiday day in the tournament. The 1/8th phase of the final has already ended, and out of 48 nationals as the race began, only eight contenders remain for the trophy.

This vacation gives players the opportunity to recover before the final one towards the big final at “Met Life Stadium”.

The decision to temporarily halt the race relates mainly to the well-being of players and logistics management of the tournament. In the enlarged format, where semifinals will play a total of eight matches, holiday day is essential for the remaining teams in the race.

This becomes even more important because of great distances between host cities in the United States, Canada, and Mexico, as well as high summer temperatures on the continent.

When do the games come back?

The holiday will be brief, as the World returns immediately Thursday, July 9th, with the official launch of the quarterfinal phase. Fans will not wait long for the return of emotions, as couples of this stage are already set after a series of spectacular confrontations in the past round.

According to the official calendar, the opening quarterfinal will be between France and Morocco. This very strong confrontation will be played in “Boston Stadium”, in Massachusetts, and will be a repeat of the 2022 World semifinal.

Later, other matches will take place on Friday and Saturday, to determine four semifinals.

On Friday, July 10th, only one match will be played, but it's a big duel. Spain comes after the dramatic elimination of the Portugal of Cristiano Ronaldo, thanks to an additional goal. In front of it will be Belgium, which destroyed the US co-organist with a score of 4-1, in a match that is still being discussed a lot because of a controversial red card.

Saturday Brings Great Drama

Among the teams that are exploiting this holiday is the England of Thomas Tuchel. The Three Lions” provided the qualifications in the quarterfinals dramatically, following a hard battle against co-organizer Mexico, where they remained with ten players.

Now, England has good time to revamp the tactical plan before the next challenge.

Cherekfinal England '%Norwegi will be played on Saturday, July 11, at “Miami Stadium”, in Florida. Locality and high temperatures are expected to have a major impact on this confrontation.

For British fans, Saturday night's schedule offers an ideal moment to follow the team, which seeks to build over the moment of victory in Mexico City.

After this match, attention will shift to champions in power. Unlike his eternal rival, Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi managed to keep the dream of the World Cup alive, leading Argentina towards a dramatic collapse of Egypt.

In front of Argentina, it will be Switzerland, which provided the qualifications after a tense victory over Colombia penalty. This is the first quarterfinal in the World Cup since 1954.

The Road to the Finals of Met Life

After the quarterfinal weekend, the tournament will take another brief break on July 12th and 13th, before the semifinals are held on July 14th and 15th.

FIFA has planned these holiday spaces to keep the quality of the game at crucial stages and to avoid excessive fatigue that could cloud the show in the most important matches.

The match will not be even on July 16th and 17th, giving the remaining teams more time to prepare for the end of the tournament.

The event returns later Saturday, July 18th, to the third-place match, where the two defeated semi-finalists will fight for the bronze medal.

The 2026 World Cup will officially close on Sunday, July 19th, with the grand finale in East Rutherford.

Until then, the teams will use this holiday Wednesday for video analysis, physical recovery and treatment of possible injuries before emotions and pressure increase. / Periscopi/