The 2026 World Cup Quarter-Finals are set. Eight nations remain: France, Spain, Argentina, England, Belgium, Norway, Morocco, and Switzerland. The other nations are eliminated, and their Path to Glory cards are frozen forever. This guide tells you which PTG cards to buy, which to dump, and how to profit before the Festival of Football ends July 24.
Cards still upgrading — buy list
Each QF win triggers another upgrade. Buy before the QF matches, not after. Upgrades process on Wednesdays, so the buying window is Monday-Tuesday.
- France PTG (Mbappé, Saliba, Tchouaméni) — Safest investment. Two clean sheets in knockouts. Mbappé PTG at ~850K has a realistic path to 1.4M if France reaches the Final.
- Spain PTG (Rodri, Yamal, Pedri) — Best value per coin. Rodri PTG at ~320K is the best ROI in the market. Spain's defensive record (two clean sheets) means they're built for deep runs.
- Belgium PTG (De Bruyne, Lukaku) — Belgium demolished the USA 4-1. De Bruyne PTG at ~380K has a clear path to 700K. Medium risk, high ceiling.
- Argentina PTG (Messi, Mac Allister) — Messi PTG is expensive (~920K) but has the highest single-card ceiling. Argentina scraped past Cape Verde 3-2, so risk is real.
- Norway PTG (Haaland) — The dark horse play. Haaland eliminated Brazil with a brace. PTG at ~440K could hit 1.1M if Norway reaches the Final. Binary outcome: huge profit or 40% loss.
- Morocco PTG — Cheapest QF nation cards (~85K). Morocco eliminated the Netherlands and beat Canada 3-0. If they win the QF, cards triple overnight.
- Switzerland PTG (Akanji, Xhaka, Shaqiri) — The newest QF underdog. Switzerland beat Colombia on penalties July 7. Their PTG cards are extremely cheap (~60K) because nobody expected them to reach the QF. QF opponent is Argentina. If Switzerland pulls off the upset, these cards 5x in value. High risk, extreme reward.
Cards maxed or eliminated — sell list
These nations are out. Their PTG cards will never upgrade again. Prices drop daily. Sell now.
| Card | Nation | Eliminated in | Action | Reason |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vini Jr. PTG | Brazil | R16 (lost to Norway 2-1) | SELL | Haaland killed the upgrade chain. Card frozen. Drops 5-10% daily. |
| Musiala PTG | Germany | R32 (lost to Paraguay on pens) | SELL | Dead since June 29. Every day held = coins lost. |
| Any Portugal PTG | Portugal | R16 (lost to Spain 1-0) | SELL | No upgrade path left. Sell before market fully prices in the exit. |
| Any Netherlands PTG | Netherlands | R32 (lost to Morocco on pens) | SELL | Dead since June 29. Already down 30%+. Dump for whatever you can get. |
| Pulisic PTG | USA | R16 (lost to Belgium 4-1) | SELL | 4-1 thrashing killed all hype. No upgrades left. |
| Any Colombia PTG | Colombia | R16 (lost to Switzerland 4-3 on pens, July 7) | SELL | Colombia's penalty loss to Switzerland is fresh. Brief residual hype from the shootout. Use it to exit immediately. |
| Raul Jiménez PTG | Mexico | R16 (lost to England 3-2) | SELL | Card maxed. The 3-2 scoreline generated brief hype, use it to exit. |
Price prediction table — Quarter-Final nations only
| Card | Nation | Current Price | Predicted Peak (if reach Final) | Risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mbappé PTG | France | ~850K | ~1.4M | LOW |
| Rodri PTG | Spain | ~320K | ~580K | LOW |
| De Bruyne PTG | Belgium | ~380K | ~700K | MEDIUM |
| Saka PTG | England | ~280K | ~520K | MEDIUM |
| Messi PTG | Argentina | ~920K | ~1.6M | MEDIUM |
| Haaland PTG | Norway | ~440K | ~1.1M | HIGH |
| Any Morocco PTG | Morocco | ~85K | ~350K | HIGH |
| Any Switzerland PTG | Switzerland | ~60K | ~300K | HIGH |
How to read this: "Predicted Peak" assumes the nation reaches the Final (July 19). If they lose in the QF, the card peaks immediately then crashes within 48 hours. Switzerland PTG is the highest risk/reward: QF opponent is Argentina. Win that, and 60K cards become 300K+. Lose, and they're worth 30K.
Mistakes to avoid
- Filter 1: QF nation, 87+ OVR, Buy Now under 300K. Catches Rodri, Saka, De Bruyne when sellers panic post-Wednesday upgrade. Refresh every 30 seconds between 6-8 PM GMT.
- Filter 2: Switzerland PTG, any OVR, Buy Now under 80K. If Switzerland beats Argentina in the QF, these cards 5x overnight. Low cost, extreme upside.
- Filter 3: Eliminated nation, 88+ OVR, Buy Now under 200K. Dead cards with residual Chemistry value. Buy low, relist at 250K for 25% margin.
- Timing: Best sniping windows are 2-4 AM GMT (Asian market listings) and 6-8 PM GMT (post-Wednesday upgrade panic). Avoid weekend afternoons, prices inflated.
- Buying on upgrade Wednesday. Prices peak that day. Wait 48 hours for the dip. Same card, 15-20% cheaper.
- Holding eliminated-nation cards. A frozen PTG card will never recover. Sell and reinvest in a live nation.
- Betting everything on one nation. Spread across two or three. If France loses the QF, you lose 40% on French PTG cards overnight.
- Forgetting the July 19 deadline. After the Final, PTG cards become static and the market dries up. Sell before July 19, not after.
Verdict
Safest play: France and Spain PTG cards. Both have clean defensive records and deep squads. Rodri PTG at ~320K is the best value-per-coin investment in the market. Highest upside: Haaland PTG at ~440K (binary outcome) or Switzerland PTG at ~60K (lottery ticket vs Argentina). Dumbest play: holding any eliminated-nation card. Brazil, Germany, Portugal, Netherlands, USA, Mexico, Colombia, all dead. Sell today.
