Switzerland held their nerve to defeat Colombia 4-3 on penalties after their 2026 FIFA World Cup Round of 16 clash ended 0-0 after extra time. The two sides locked horns at the BC Place Vancouver on Tuesday, July 7.
Both nations defended brilliantly, maintaining a tight and compact shape for most of the game. Their FIFA World Cup tie had very limited chances and was ultimately decided by a thrilling penalty shootout. However, the Nati came out on top to progress to the quarter-finals, where they will face Lionel Messi’s Argentina on July 11.
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Without further ado, let’s dive into five talking points from their FIFA World Cup clash:
#5 Switzerland impress during penalty shootout as history repeats itself for Colombia
Switzerland looked extremely confident during the penalty shootout, converting four out of their five attempts, with Granit Xhaka, Zeki Amdouni, Cedric Itten, and Ruben Vargas finding the back of the net. Manuel Akanji missed the target entirely, but defended well in normal time.
On the other hand, Davinson Sanchez’s penalty struck the woodwork, and Juan Hernandez had his effort saved by Gregor Kobel, eliminating Colombia from the FIFA World Cup. History repeated itself for Los Cafeteros after they suffered a similarly heartbreaking Round of 16 penalty shootout loss to England in 2018.
#4 Kobel was outstanding for the Nati
Switzerland goalkeeper Gregor Kobel had an exceptional performance, keeping a clean sheet to ensure his nation progressed to the final eight. The 28-year-old made a top save in the 21st minute to deny Gustavo Puerta, saving three in total.
He also reacted well during the penalty shootout to deny Juan Hernandez, made nine recoveries and three clearances, and was solid with his distribution. He has now kept back-to-back clean sheets following the Nati’s 2-0 win over Algeria in the Round of 32.
#3 Colombia’s attack were largely ineffective
Both Switzerland and Colombia thrived defensively with the centre-back pairings of Manuel Akanji and Nico Elvedi, as well as Davinson Sanchez and Jhon Lucumi impressing. However, Los Cafeteros‘ attack failed to click in the final third, with James Rodriguez and Luis Suarez struggling to make an impact.
Lucumi nearly broke the deadlock for Colombia in extra time when his header struck the crossbar. However, Jaminton Campaz, who replaced Rodriguez up front in the second half, missed the biggest chance of the game in the 115th minute when he blazed his effort over the bar from close range.
#2 Switzerland overcame a mini injury crisis to progress to FIFA World Cup Q/F
Switzerland were hit with a massive blow before the Colombia clash after star man Johan Manzambi suffered a knee injury during their final team training session. The 20-year-old has arguably been the Nati’s best player in the FIFA World Cup, scoring three goals and two assists in four appearances.
Manzambi’s absence was felt as Murat Yakin and Co. struggled for creativity going forward. Additionally, Luca Jaquez and Michel Aebischer also missed out due to injury. Despite these setbacks, Switzerland showed great resilience to progress to the quarter-finals for the first time in 72 years!
#1 Colombia were statistically the better side
Switzerland defended well and dominated possession with 53 percent of the ball compared to Los Cafeteros’ 47 percent. However, the latter looked more dangerous going forward and were arguably the better side, until the penalty shootout.
As per FotMob, Colombia landed 15 shots in total, with three being on target. However, they weren’t clinical enough as they missed two big chances and hit the woodwork twice (xG of 1.09). In comparison, the Nati managed seven shots in total, with two being on target (xG of 0.39).
Edited by Silas Sud