Switzerland have qualified for the quarterfinals of the 2026 FIFA World Cup after defeating Colombia 4-3 in a penalty shootout. A bitter, high-scoring battle at BC Place in Vancouver ended 0-0 through 120 minutes of regular and extra time. Murat Yakin’s strong Swiss team proved to be a strong defensive team to withstand the constant pressure from the Colombians. He got a date with Lionel Messi and defending champions Argentina on Saturday, July 11, in Kansas City.
Phase One of Tactical Gridlock
The game started with Colombia quickly dominating, moving the ball well in their 4-1-2-3 formation. James Rodríguez directs the mid-range drama along with production team Jhon Arias. In the 22nd minute, Colombia made the most of the opening period. Right back Daniel Munoz started the process with a low pass to Jefferson Lerma, who saw Gustavo Puerta waiting in the air just outside the box. Puerta took the ball and curled it hard into the top corner. However, Swiss goalscorer Gregor Kobel made a fine save to deny another opening goal.Switzerland, who were missing star Johan Manzambi after a late injury, were replaced in defense. He got good at using long balls to bring out the speedster Breel Embolo. Just before the half-time whistle, Swiss midfielder Fabian Rieder latched on to a forward pass from Granit Xhaka. Rieder grabbed half a yard of space and drove a sharp, low drive into the left corner. Colombian shot-stopper Camilo Vargas made an immediate impact, getting down to make a fine and important save.
High Pressure and Delayed Opportunity
The physicality continued in the second half as both managers wanted their best performance. Granit Xhaka and Denis Zakaria picked up quick yellow cards to end a dangerous change for Colombia. Looking at the highlights, Nestor Lorenzo introduced Juan Fernando Quintero and Jaminton Campaz. The technical change almost paid off in the 89th minute. Swiss defender Manuel Akanji split the midfield with a clever ball to Dan Ndoye. Ndoye set up Johan Mojica later on but he pulled his last ball in with great difficulty, leveling the game at 0-0.Overtime brought a high-stakes game. In the 101st minute, Quintero floated a right corner. Defender Jhon Lucumí rose above Nico Elvedi and sent a header that was well hit by Kobel. A few minutes later, Xhaka broke through a dangerous defense from Campaz. With only Kobel to beat, Campaz fired his shot over the bar.
Extreme Penalty Shootout
With neither side able to breach the defensive lines after 120 minutes, the game went to penalties:
- Round 1: Juan Fernando Quintero went first and blasted his penalty down the middle. Granit Xhaka responded for Switzerland, passing to Vargas. (1-1)
- Round 2: Davinson Sánchez breaks his penalty with a powerful cross. Zeki Amdouni converted to put the Swiss ahead. (2-1)
- Round 3: Jaminton Campaz squeezed his shot under Kobel’s water. Manuel Akanji then fired his penalty from the crossbar. (2-2)
- Round 4: Kobel made a stunning save to deny Cucho Hernández. Cedric Itten calmly slotted his penalty home to regain the lead. (3-2)
- Round 5: Luis Díaz made a good shot that you have to make. Rubén Vargas rose under great pressure and struck hard to secure a historic victory in Switzerland! (4-3)
Final Team Match Statistics
The main rivalry of the game was reflected in the final team scores during the 120 minutes. Switzerland outscored Colombia in all matches with 53% compared to Colombia’s 47%. They also showed very high accuracy. The Swiss completed a total of 504 passes with 88% passing accuracy, while Colombia successfully connected 440 passes at an 87% clip.However, Colombia became more dangerous in the third quarter. He fired 15 shots, 3 of which hit the target, forcing Swiss goalkeeper Gregor Kobel to make three saves. In contrast, the heavily restricted Switzerland managed only 7 shots, trying to stop Colombian striker Camilo Vargas twice while registering 2 saves.A strong and intelligent gridlock is also evident in the main stop. Switzerland committed 22 fouls against 21 Colombian players, and the referee gave 3 yellow cards to the Swiss team and 2 to the Colombians. In the end, Colombia’s continuous pressure won 7 corners, more than the triangles that Switzerland received.