Morocco and Argentina seek to end 76-year wait for a non-European World Cup final

Morocco and Argentina have the opportunity to end a 76-year World Cup trend after emerging as the only non-European nations in the quarter-finals of the 2026 tournament.

Six of the eight teams remaining are from Europe – France, Spain, England, Switzerland, Belgium and Norway – leaving Morocco as Africa’s sole representative alongside South American giants Argentina.

The European contingent is the largest to reach the quarter-finals of a World Cup staged outside Europe since the 1994 tournament in the United States, when seven European nations made the last eight.

Despite that dominance, history offers encouragement for Morocco and Argentina. Brazil went on to lift the trophy in 1994 after eliminating the Netherlands in the quarter-finals, Sweden in the semi-finals and Italy in the final.

Morocco and Argentina kept apart

The tournament draw has placed Morocco and Argentina on opposite sides of the knockout bracket, meaning they could meet only in the final if both continue their impressive runs.

Morocco face France in the quarter-finals, with the winners advancing to a semi-final against either Spain or Belgium.

Argentina, meanwhile, take on Switzerland for a place in the last four, where they would meet either England or Norway.

The separate paths have raised the possibility of a final featuring the last remaining representatives of Africa and South America.

Chasing a piece of World Cup history

A World Cup final without a European nation has not occurred since 1950, when Uruguay claimed the title by defeating Brazil in the decisive final-stage group match at the Maracanã.

That edition was played under a different competition format, with the champions determined through a final group rather than a knockout final.

Since the introduction of the modern knockout format, only one World Cup has concluded with two non-European finalists—the inaugural tournament in 1930, when Uruguay defeated Argentina to become the first world champions.

Morocco now carry the hopes of Africa into the quarter-finals as they attempt to continue their historic campaign, while Argentina seek to ensure South America remains in contention for football’s biggest prize. Together, they have the chance to rewrite a chapter of World Cup history that has stood for more than seven decades.