The Quarter-final round of FIFA Fantasy World Cup is nearly here, which means it’s almost time to lock in our squads.

In this article, serial UCL Fantasy top 1k finisher Louis (aka FPLReaction) breaks down his current squad, the players he’s targeting, his planned chip strategy and some of the key decisions he has to make ahead of the deadline.

• READ MORE: Fantasy FIFA World Cup 2026: Quarter-final predicted line-ups
• READ MORE: Fantasy FIFA World Cup 2026: Quarter-final Scout Picks

ROUND OF 16 REVIEW

The Round of 16 went pretty badly, to be honest. I finished with just 65 points and suffered a huge rank drop to 136k globally. That’s a long way from my usual top 1-2k finishes in these types of games, so it’s a frustrating position to be in.

The worst part of the Round was probably my defence. I picked up just three defensive returns from a possible six. I backed teams that I thought were unlikely to concede, including Argentina, England and even the USA on home soil. Unfortunately, I was wrong.

I highlighted midfield as an issue in the previous article, and the same applies again this week. My new signing, Ismael Saibari ($6.8m), went off injured after just 22 minutes, while Christian Pulisic and Vinícius Júnior blanked again. Even the more consistent options, such as Ousmane Dembélé ($10.0m) and Michael Olise ($9.5m), failed to deliver.

My Argentina and England defensive double-ups also failed to keep a clean sheet for the second successive Round. That’s particularly irritating because I originally prioritised them over France and Spain defenders.

The problems don’t end there. I lost five players to elimination, while Saibari has also been ruled out of the quarter-final. That leaves me with six players who won’t feature in the next Round.

TEAM REVEAL

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As I started planning my transfers, it quickly became clear that I couldn’t afford Lamine Yamal ($10.0m). Ideally, I’d want him because of his excellent record in the latter stages of major competitions and big games. However, despite looking lively throughout the tournament, he hasn’t yet justified his hefty price tag.

With that in mind, I don’t think I’ll try to squeeze him in. The lack of budget options at this stage of the competition also plays a part. Most of the quarter-finalists are teams we expected to reach this point, with Belgium perhaps the exception, but I won’t be backing their assets against Spain.

My first priority was finding a replacement for Rayan ($6.2m). Without Yamal in my team, it made sense to bring in Spain penalty-taker Mikel Oyarzabal ($8.1m). He comes in cheaper than the premium forwards I don’t own and arguably has a better fixture. Belgium have looked hit-and-miss defensively, so targeting them makes sense.

Jude Bellingham ($8.3m) simply has to come in. He offers an appealing price point, looks absolutely inevitable for England at the moment and could also provide some cover against Harry Kane ($10.5m), who could still punish me.

The absence of Kane, combined with a lack of convincing midfield options elsewhere, makes Anthony Gordon ($7.0m) a viable option. Doubling up on the England attack against a shaky Norway defence feels like a wise move. Gordon also appears to have secured the left-wing spot after his recent performances.

Not owning any France defenders has been problematic. With budget tight, it looks like I’ll have to settle for Lucas Digne ($5.0m), provided he starts when the line-ups drop before the deadline.

Spain have also kept five consecutive clean sheets, making coverage of their defence feel like a must. Pau Cubarsí ($5.0m) fits my budget perfectly.

That leaves me with $6.1m to replace Ismael Saibari ($6.8m). It’s a tricky price point because there aren’t many standout options, but Álex Baena ($6.0m) fits the bill. Bringing him in also allows me to double up on the Spain attack.