Why There Are No World Cup Matches Today: The Pause Explained
If you tried to find FIFA World Cup matches today and came up empty, that’s because the tournament is on a planned break. After the intense Round of 16 games, the schedule pauses for one day to let the teams rest and prepare for the quarter-finals.
The End of the Round of 16
The last two spots in the next round were decided just recently with dramatic moments:
- Argentina 3 - 2 Egypt: Argentina moved forward thanks to goals from Romero, Messi, and Enzo Fernández. Egypt fought back with strikes from Yasser Ibrahim and Ziko but fell short and raised several complaints about the refereeing.
- Switzerland 0 (4) - 0 (3) Colombia: Neither side scored during regular or extra time, so Switzerland won in the penalty shootout.
Quarter-Finals Lineup and Schedule
The quarter-final matches kick off this Thursday, July 9, starting with:
- July 9, 5:00 PM: France vs. Morocco
- July 10, 4:00 PM: Spain vs. Belgium
- July 11, 6:00 PM: Norway vs. England
- July 11, 10:00 PM: Argentina vs. Switzerland
Looking Ahead: The Road to the Final
The semi-final matchups are already mapped out based on who advances:
- The winner between France and Morocco will meet the victor of Spain vs. Belgium.
- On the opposite side, the team that gets past Norway vs. England will face whoever wins Argentina vs. Switzerland.
So while there’s no action today, the break sets the stage for what promises to be an exciting quarter-final phase.
