Switzerland have benefited from an easy path to the quarter-finals and have shown no signs of contending, so Norway get this tag by default.
If a top-eight team can be considered a dark horse, go with Belgium, who showed in their systematic destruction of the USA that the tactical and technical skills of their predecessors are still intact.
Norway still feel a tier below the favorites, but their internet-breaking striker is on a scoring clip that defies logic.
Haaland has 27 goals in his last 14 competitive internationals and is the first player since Gerd Müller 56 years ago to score at least seven goals in his first four World Cup appearances.
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That's enough to make anyone a believer.
Maybe Zohran Mamdani was on to something about this Morocco side.
They look so evolved from their run to the semi-final in 2022, embracing a pivot from underdog spoiler to a team who can control a match in most phases.
Beating the Netherlands was no small feat, and they will reportedly get Ismael Saibari back after his first-half injury against Canada.
Are Norway really just a horse of medium complexion now?
This Norwegian side is weird in that they're only thought to be surprising because they hadn't been at a World Cup in so long, but they have an awful lot of momentum riding along with them right now.
They're doing that thing where they're winning even when they don't play particularly well. If they can squeeze past England, I'd give them a chance against Argentina (probably?
