Who to Pick for the 2026 World Cup Fantasy Football for the Quarter-Finals

By Eduard Bănulescu

Did your World Cup fantasy football campaign go according to plan, or are you suffering just as much as Germany, USA and the Dutch? Looking to get one last big win before the tournament ends? Here are the players that can make it happen for you.

Ahead of the all-important Quarter-Finals, these are the player cards you need. I’ve assembled this list based on detailed stats, expectations and predictions informed by over ten years of writing fantasy football content.

Once you’re done, prove your skill in the free 2026 Fantasy Football World Cup contest in FootballCoin! Challenge the top managers and win real prizes.

World Cup Fantasy Picks: Quarter-Finals

The “Locks”

France – Morocco

This one’s turning into a real World Cup derby and a very unpredictable game.

One thing is nearly certain for this one, and that’s that the top stars will find a way to impress. It’s the reason why the backbone of your fantasy football selection can be built around players from this game.

It’s finally the round where picking Maignan makes sense. Frankly, it’ll be either him or Courtois, and the French keeper has a better chance of keeping a clean sheet.

Saliba should be in, but not Upamecano and Kounde.

Kone should be in as well, even if he’s not a star on par with Kante or Tchouameni. He and Olise are effectively the two players through whom most French attacks pass. Rabiot is fine, but unessential.

What about the striker? Should you get all three of Dembele, Barcola and Mbappe? This is unlikely to be a goal fest. But all will see some action in attack.

Dembele is the safe bet, given how involved he is in attacks, while Mbappe can be picked for his terrific form and as the penalty taker.

Meanwhile, Morocco offers even more options based solely on budgetary constraints.

I wouldn’t choose Bono, Mazraoui or Diaz for this one. Instead, I’d certainly consider the defenders Diop and Riad, along with the more expensive, but reliable Hakimi.

El Aynaoui is an absolute starting pick for this one. Picking Ounahi or El Khannouss isn’t as essential

However, picking Rahimi, who will most likely start, can prove a worthwhile risk.

Argentina – Switzerland

It’s not an afterthought of a result. Sure, Argentina is a very entertaining team, while Switzerland plays efficient and, let’s face it, often dull football.

However, the South Americans have really struggled in the knockout stage of this World Cup, while the Swiss seem capable of always finding a way through.

Here’s who I suggest that you pick for this one.

Messi? Yeah, there’s no getting around the fact that he’s performed to an incredible standard every game. If picking him feels a little too expensive, however, there are alternatives. 

Emi Martinez can be avoided. However, despite my earlier criticism, Lisandro Martinez and Romero cannot.

Molina and Tagliafico are a little too slow for this kind of fixture nowadays. But Enzo Fernandez and De Paul are living up to the hype.

Together with Paredes and Mac Allister, they make excellent fantasy football picks. However, realistically, you’re likely to pick just one or two of them. In that case, make it Fernandez. 

Finally, both Alvarez and Lautaro Martinez are excellent strikers, but their overall performances don’t make them essential World Cup fantasy football picks.

Can the Swiss compete with all of that? I think so. And there are a few European players that I think you ought to consider.

Embolo or Ndoye can embarrass the Argentine defence. But I think that the budget is best spent elsewhere. 

Veteran defenders Elvedi, Akanji and Rodriguez have been terrific. Each of them has one of the highest point tallies in FootballCoin. These stats tend to matter in games like this.

Xhaka is prone to making mistakes. However, the Swiss captain coordinates virtually every attacking play and defensive manoeuvre the team makes.

Freuler is also a strong pick. But youngster Rieder is really the midfielder without whom you’ll find it hard to compete in this quarterfinal round. 

The “Enablers”

Spain – Belgium

This is a World Cup fixture that I am greatly excited about. However, I will admit it, this one’s also a game that’s hard to call. Why? Not only are these teams unpredictable, but so is the selection itself; the Belgian and Spanish selections rarely being the ones that you’d expect.

Simon has kept a clean sheet in every game, but hasn’t had much to work with. Ironically, this isn’t a great sign when making fantasy football selections.

Instead, try to pick Cubarsi or Laporte, the reasons behind this great defensive record. Rodri and Pedri should be back in your team. 

Whenever possible, Cucurella and Yamal shouldn’t be absent either.

However, while Olmo, Baena and Oyarzabal are players worth considering, though there may be better alternatives.

What about this mysterious Belgium side that only seems to come alive in certain games?

Courtois, yes, is still worth picking as he’s the best keeper in this tournament.

Mechele and De Cuyper can get a shot, based mostly on the price tag.

Tielemans has had a great tournament and has really stepped up for De Bruyne, who hasn’t. I like Vanaken, although I am not completely confident he can succeed against this well-drilled Spanish side.

Lukebakio and De Bruyne are fine, but realistically, there are better options. The same can be said about Trossard and De Ketelaere.

Do I think that you should pick Lukaku? Even if the striker doesn’t start, he has an incredible knack of getting on the scoresheet. He can still earn a lot of points despite not playing the full 90 minutes. You might want to keep this in mind.

The “Wild Cards”

England – Norway

I predicted that England would go far in this tournament. But I admit I assumed that Thomas Tuchel’s team would move through the rounds with greater ease.

I predicted that Norway would be the proverbial “dark horse,” and thus far have been right.

This will be a game determined by minuscule differences and by whichever team happens to have a better day at the office.

Let’s start with the pain points. England’s defence has often looked wobbly, and they’re one full-back short. Pickford and Spence should be avoided, but Konsa and Guehi‘s stats prove that they’re players you can rely on.

Bellingham is in, as is Anderson if you’re able to pick him. Rice should always be a starting choice. Gordon and O’Reilly are too unpredictable from one game to the other. 

And, yes, Kane should be among the players that you consider for the attacking position. 

However, if you can only choose one attacker, it might as well be Haaland. The Norwegian forward will get fewer chances than Kane, but may be more effective at putting them away.

Heggem is worth keeping on your radar. Moller Wolfe, Ryerson, and even Ostigard can and should be avoided.

Odegaard deserves your attention, but it’s S. Berge and P. Berg who are the really smart picks here. Sorloth can be avoided this time. 

The “Costly Mistakes”

Upamecano and Kounde are important to Didier Deschamps’ system. But I find their performances to include too many mistakes.

Bono is a fine keeper, but there are better options for this round, at least, in theory.

Molina and Tagliafico don’t have the speed for a game against Morocco, I feel.

I can see Embolo or Ndoye taking advantage of Argentina’s defensive errors, but it’s too difficult to plan for that.

Avoid the Norwegian defence if possible.

Set-Piece & Penalty Matrix

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