2026 World Cup: Switzerland Advances on a Penalty Kick—It’s the Last Team to Qualify for the Quarterfinals

Switzerland is the last team to secure a spot in the quarterfinals of the 2026 World Cup. In Vancouver, against Colombia, the match ended scoreless after 120 minutes of play and was decided in a penalty shootout, where misses by Sánchez and Hernández proved decisive. The Swiss will now face Argentina in the quarterfinals.

The match, played at BC Place in Vancouver in front of a clear majority of Colombian fans, offered little excitement in the first half. Switzerland was without Manzambi, a standout of the tournament with three goals and two assists, who was sidelined by a knee injury, while Ruben Vargas started on the bench. Colombia, on the other hand, welcomed back Luis Suárez to the starting lineup.

The first half produced few chances: in the 21st minute, Puerta tested Kobel with a curling shot, which the Swiss goalkeeper parried with a great save. Yakin’s team responded in the 30th minute, when Rieder’s shot was deflected by Camilo Vargas, who then made another fine save on Ndoye’s attempt.

In the second half, Switzerland stepped up their game and nearly took the lead through Sow, who, having just come on, missed the target from a good position. Colombia tried to respond through Luis Diaz and Luis Suarez, but failed to find the back of the net. Substitutions by both coaches did not alter the balance of the game, and the match went into extra time.

Fatigue and caution prevailed even during the 30 minutes of extra time. Campaz came close to scoring with a long-range shot, while Amdouni was denied by Vargas. In the 115th minute, Campaz himself squanders a great chance one-on-one with Kobel, confirming the inevitable outcome: a penalty shootout.

From the penalty spot, Colombia gets off to a good start with Quintero, but Sánchez’s miss—hitting the crossbar—shifts the momentum of the series. Switzerland maintained its lead with Amdouni, then Akanji missed the chance to seal the victory. The decisive turning point came when Kobel saved Hernández’s penalty: Itten put the Swiss back in front, and despite Luis Díaz’s goal, it was Vargas who converted the decisive penalty. Switzerland thus advances to the quarterfinals, where it will face Argentina in a match to determine who advances to the World Cup’s final four.