​The quarter-finals of the 2026 FIFA World Cup kick off this Thursday with a highly anticipated clash between France and Morocco. In keeping with a tradition that only grows stronger with each edition, FIFA recently published a compilation highlighting which national teams have reached the knockout stage since the 1994 World Cup. That year marked a turning point for many teams as the tournament expanded and the world witnessed a new wave of footballing powerhouses. The data reveals a clear pattern: some nations have established a consistent presence in the final eight, while others have endured longer droughts or surprising absences.
Brazil stands out at the top of the list, boasting eight appearances in the quarter-finals across nine possible editions since 1994. The only edition Brazil missed was the current one, underscoring the country’s enduring strength and global depth. Following Brazil, a trio of footballing heavyweights—Argentina, Germany, and France—each appear six times in the quarter-finals over this period. Notably, France did not participate in every edition during this stretch, having missed the 1994 tournament, which prevents it from matching Brazil’s perfect run in this timeframe.
Italy is one of the more striking cases of underachievement in this context. With only three quarter-final appearances since 1994, Italy’s record includes a runner-up finish in 1994, a semifinal appearance in 1998, and the triumph in 2006. Since then, Italy has endured early eliminations in 2010 and 2014 and has been absent from World Cups in 2018 and 2022, leaving its supporters to reflect on what might have been during those campaigns. Portugal also stands out with a relatively sparse record in the modern era of the World Cup’s knockout rounds. With just two quarter-final appearances across six World Cups, including a semi-final run in 2006, Portugal’s presence among the global elite has been sporadic, even with Cristiano Ronaldo at the helm.
Germany’s narrative is equally compelling. After lifting the trophy in 2014, the nation experienced group-stage exits in 2018 and 2022, followed by a round-of-16 exit in 2026. The fluctuating fortunes of Germany over the last decade illustrate how even longstanding footballing powerhouses can face extended periods of challenge on the world stage.
There are teams whose trajectories tell a different kind of story — those that nearly disappeared from the limelight after a sensational run in 1994. Romania, led by Gheorghe Hagi at the time, and Bulgaria, guided by Hristo Stoichkov, were two such sensations who appeared in France for the next World Cup but subsequently failed to return to the quarter-final stage in the years that followed. Their dramatic 1994 performances remain a memorable chapter in the broader history of the sport, underscoring how swiftly fortune can shift in international football.
The list below enumerates every national team that has reached the quarter-finals since the World Cup concluded with Brazil securing its fourth title. Brazil leads with eight appearances, followed by Argentina, Germany, and France with six each. England has reached this stage five times, while Spain has done so four times. The Netherlands, Italy, and Croatia each have three quarter-final appearances. Belgium, Uruguay, and Sweden have appeared twice, and a broad group of nations—Portugal, Morocco, Bulgaria, Romania, Denmark, Türkiye, Senegal, United States, South Korea, Costa Rica, Paraguay, Ghana, Colombia, Ukraine, Russia, Norway, and Switzerland—have reached the quarter-finals once since 1994.
This piece is the English translation of an original article. The original version in Portuguese is available for readers who wish to compare the source material. The compilation helps underscore how the quarter-finalists have evolved over the last several World Cups and how the dynamics of the sport shift from edition to edition. As fans await Thursday’s kickoff, the narrative of which nations have consistently progressed to the late stages of the tournament adds an extra layer of intrigue to the 2026 World Cup’s knockout phase.