European teams have increasingly asserted their dominance in the World Cup as the tournament has progressed, culminating in six of the eight quarter-finalists originating from the continent. This strong performance follows a somewhat sluggish start for European sides, with seven of the first ten European teams failing to secure a win in their opening group stage matches.
Pre-tournament discussions had focused on the heat in North America, with several teams, including England, choosing locations to acclimatize. However, managers generally downplayed the impact of the conditions on their initial results. Following Belgium's draw with Egypt, coach Rudi Garcia stated that his team should have performed better regardless of the temperature. Similarly, Switzerland coach Murat Yakin attributed his team's opening draw with Qatar to wastefulness rather than the climate.
By the conclusion of the group stage, however, European teams had significantly improved, achieving 17 wins, 12 draws, and seven losses in matches against non-European opponents. This momentum has carried into the knockout rounds, where several European nations have demonstrated resilience when facing adversity.
England, for instance, overcame a challenging atmosphere and altitude at the Azteca to defeat Mexico in the last-16, a performance former England striker Wayne Rooney described as indicative of a team capable of winning the World Cup, highlighting the immense belief it would instill in the players. France advanced by navigating Paraguay's tactical approaches, while Belgium overcame co-hosts USA in their last-16 tie, setting up a quarter-final clash with European champions Spain. Former England defender Matt Upson noted Belgium's encouraging performance against the USA, adding that they would need to be at their best against Spain's strong midfield.