Read for 5 minutes8 Jul 2026 01:29 PM IST
European teams generally don’t do very well at the FIFA World Cup in America. Germany’s victory in Brazil in 2014 is the only instance of either of them crossing the Atlantic to reach the title. But with six of the eight quarter-finalists in the 2026 edition coming from Europe, the chances of a team from that continent lifting the trophy on July 19 could be bright, even if Morocco and Lionel Messi’s Argentina have other ideas.
In fact, a European team has only won the World Cup outside its own continent twice – Spain won in South Africa in 2010 – but the balance of power in international football has shifted over the past few decades, and it’s only Argentina flying the flag for the rest of the world. Norway and Switzerland aren’t traditional European powerhouses either, but they’re in the last eight while Brazil, Uruguay and Colombia aren’t.
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The simple answer would be that Europe has better players, but it also helps with infrastructure, player development and tactical maturity in one of the strongest leagues in the world. Most of the world’s best players play club football in Europe but that doesn’t seem to help most of them come World Cup time. Sixteen European teams started the tournament and six remained, an impressive proportion. In comparison, only one in six teams from South America and one in 10 from Africa have reached the quarters. It’s been a disappointing campaign for Asia, with none of the biggest continent’s teams making it past the round of 16 in an expanded 48-team draw.
European dominance has been the trend in the past several World Cups, although at one point in the tournament, it looked like the script might change when the Netherlands and Germany were knocked out on the same day, with four-time winners Italy failing to qualify for a third consecutive edition.
In Qatar 2022, five of the eight quarter-finalists were from Europe, and six and four in 2018 and 2014 respectively. In fact, you have to go back to 2002 to find a non-European winner, with Brazil winning in Japan and South Korea, before Argentina lifted the trophy four years ago. In the interim, four different European nations have been crowned world champions – Italy, Spain, Germany and France – proving that it is not one or two countries, but the entire continent that dominates.
Reasons:
As Angel Nakamura writes in Marca, European teams and players face world-class opponents, train under elite coaching staffs and develop into institutions that invest huge resources in youth academies and sports science. By the time those players reach the World Cup, many have already played in Champions League knockout matches, domestic title races and high-pressure cup finals.’
This can be seen as an advantage in the high-stakes environment of the World Cup knockout stages, when European teams are usually quiet. ‘They remain compact defensively, adapt tactically between matches and often have enough depth to change the game with starting options for many other nations.’
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Belgium brushed aside the United States with a clinical performance despite the controversy surrounding Folarin Balogun’s overturned red card. England beat Mexico in the Cauldron of the Aztec Stadium. Switzerland defeated Colombia in a penalty shootout for 120 minutes after defeating South America’s most talented team. Norway, making their first World Cup appearance since 1998, also defeated Brazil thanks to their disciplined organizational structure, tactical efficiency and Erling Haaland’s finishing ability. France refused to be fazed by the overly physical approach adopted by Paraguay and acted without provocation.
According to Nakamura, South America is producing exceptional individual talent, but many domestic leagues struggle financially compared to Europe’s biggest competitions.
‘It is no longer enough to produce technically brilliant players, they (European nations) develop tactical intelligence, positional flexibility and mental resilience from an early age. Where European teams continue to distinguish themselves is decision-making under pressure.
‘The best European teams rarely beat themselves. They defend as a cohesive unit, recognize moments to slow down or accelerate, and capitalize on opponents’ mistakes with ruthless efficiency. That formula has taken six UEFA nations to the quarter-finals,’ added Nakamura.