120 goalless minutes at BC Place
Vancouver, 7 July 2026. 120 minutes, zero goals, maximum tension. Switzerland and Colombia served up a gruelling round-of-16 contest at BC Place that only found its winner in the penalty shootout. In the end, Switzerland won 4-3 from the spot and booked their place in the quarter-final, where they will face Argentina in Kansas City.
Both sides entered the match as group winners: Switzerland had topped Group B on seven points, while Colombia won Group K ahead of Portugal. Ahead of the tournament, the World Cup format had been fundamentally overhauled – for the first time, 48 teams competed across 12 four-team groups, with the knockout round opening at the round of 32 as its first stage. The round of 16 was therefore already the second knockout round of this expanded format.
Switzerland head coach Murat Yakin was forced into a late change when Johan Manzambi pulled up with a knee injury sustained in training on the eve of the match, with no opposing player involved; an MRI scan confirmed he would play no further part. Manzambi had been Switzerland's standout performer at the tournament up to that point – three goals and two assists in four World Cup appearances. His absence left a conspicuous void in the Swiss attack.
Yellow cards set the tone
On the pitch, the contest developed into a physically intense affair in which neither side created clear-cut chances. Colombia's defence, which had conceded just once in their previous four World Cup matches, held firm and afforded Luis Díaz precious little space to make his mark going forward. Colombia for their part operated in a 4-4-1-1 system and looked to the counter-attack.
In the 51st minute Granit Xhaka was shown a yellow card, followed eight minutes later by Denis Zakaria. On the Colombian side, Luis Suárez received a booking in the 60th minute. Head coach Lorenzo responded in the 66th minute with a double substitution, sending on Juan Fernando Quintero and Jaminton Campaz for James Rodríguez and Jhon Arias. Switzerland made their own changes in stages, with Djibril Sow among those introduced – he came on at half-time for Ardon Jashari.
Deep into extra-time stoppage time, Granit Xhaka misplaced a pass just outside his own penalty area, gifting Jaminton Campaz a glorious opportunity – only for Campaz to squander it. Yerry Mina came on for Jhon Lucumí in the 119th minute, moments before the final whistle.
Penalty shootout: Kobel stops Hernández
The penalty shootout was a nerve-shredding affair. Juan Fernando Quintero converted for Colombia, Granit Xhaka for Switzerland. Davinson Sánchez missed Colombia's second attempt, while Zeki Amdouni found the net for Switzerland. Jaminton Campaz converted for Colombia; Manuel Akanji fired wide for Switzerland. Then came the pivotal moment: Cucho Hernández stepped up – and Gregor Kobel dived the right way to make the save. Cedric Itten and Rubén Vargas then held their nerve to convert for Switzerland, and Luis Díaz also scored for Colombia. But it was not enough: Switzerland won the penalty shootout 4-3.
What comes next
Following their 2-0 opening-round win over Algeria in the round of 32 – their first knockout-round victory since 1938 – Switzerland have now taken another historic step: a quarter-final against Argentina in Kansas City. Colombia exit after an impressive run at the tournament; three wins and one draw across their final five matches could not prevent elimination.
