France and Argentina catch up to Italy in World Cup quarter-final appearances

France and Argentina, having secured their tickets to the quarter-finals of the World Cup, have reached a significant milestone in tournament history statistics. Argentina defeated Egypt 3-2, while France beat Paraguay 1-0 to remain among the final 8 teams.

According to Stats Foot data, both countries have advanced to the quarter-finals for the ninth time in World Cup history. Thus, France and Argentina have reached the same number as Italy in the ranking of national teams that have reached this stage the most.

Brazil sits at the top of the list with 15 quarter-final appearances. Brazil is followed by Germany with 14 times and England with 11 times. France, Argentina, and Italy are on the same rung with nine quarter-finals each.

In the quarter-final matchups, France will face Morocco. Argentina's opponent will be Switzerland. France and Argentina also faced each other in the Qatar 2022 World Cup final; Argentina won the match on penalties after the regular time and extra time ended 3-3.

On the other hand, Italy failed to qualify for the World Cup for the third consecutive time after losing its play-off match against Bosnia and Herzegovina on penalties.