Manuel Akanji: 'I'll Never Take Another Penalty for Switzerland' After Colombia Miss

Switzerland survived a tense round of 16 clash at the 2026 World Cup, edging Colombia on penalties to book a quarterfinal spot. But the shootout was anything but routine for the Nati, and one miss nearly cost them dearly. Center-back Manuel Akanji stepped up but sent his spot kick high over the bar. After the match, the defender admitted he had taken his last penalty for the national team. 'I told Murat, coach Murat Yakin, right after the game: that’s it—no more penalties for me. It was a disaster. I changed my mind at the last second because I saw the keeper dive left twice earlier. I tried to go a bit higher than center, but I put it about four meters over the bar,' Akanji said. The miss was his third failed penalty in a major tournament for Switzerland. He previously missed against England at Euro 2024 and Spain at Euro 2020. After this latest failure, Akanji has decided to permanently step away from penalty duties.