Europe to add to title haul

The World Cup is staying in Europe, and it’s not even a close race.

With Uruguay and Brazil exiting the tournament Friday, the six remaining teams are European. That means the semifinals will feature four teams from that continent — just like in 1966, 1982 and 2006.

Europe is also assured of having its fourth straight title winner from a fourth different country.

South America’s Brazil hoisted the World Cup trophy for the fifth time in 2002. Europe’s winning run began with Italy in 2006, Spain followed four years later, and Germany took over in 2014.

Saturday, England will play Sweden and Russia will face Croatia, with the winners squaring off in a semifinal match Wednesday — a day after Belgium plays France. World Cup baby: Even though Andreas Granqvist has a lot going on, he claims he’s not overwhelmed.

Sweden’s captain welcomed his baby daughter from afar early Friday while his team gets ready for its World Cup quarterfinals match against England on Saturday.

“I just try to enjoy it,” he said with a grin. “I just try to be present, in the now.”

Granqvist and his wife Sofie each posted photos of the newborn, Mika, although Granqvist used a hashtag: #worldcupbaby. Ratings: U.S. English-language television viewers for the World Cup’s round of 16 in Russia were down 27 percent from four years ago, leaving the tournament 38 percent below 2014’s level.

The eight second-round matches on Fox and Fox Sports averaged 4,858,000 viewers, down from 6,696,000 four years ago on ESPN and ABC, according to Nielsen Media Research.

Ratings were expected to drop from four years ago because of earlier kickoff times and the United States missing the World Cup for the first time since 1986.