Switzerland and Colombia: a battle for a historic quarterfinal

Switzerland take on Colombia in the Round of 16 of the 2026 World Cup at BC Place in Vancouver on July 7 at 23:00 local time. Murat Yakin's side started the tournament with an unconvincing 1-1 draw against Qatar. But they quickly found their rhythm: a 4-1 thrashing of Bosnia and Herzegovina, followed by wins over Canada (2-1) and Algeria (2-0). The turning point came when substitutes Johan Manzambi and Ruben Vargas sparked the comeback against Bosnia. Both earned starting spots and delivered. Breel Embolo's early goal in the 10th minute sealed the win over Algeria. Switzerland are now chasing their fourth ever quarterfinal appearance – the last came on home soil back in 1954. Colombia, led by Nestor Lorenzo, arrive in red-hot form: five wins and one draw in their last six games. The only blemish was a goalless stalemate with Portugal, where Davinson Sanchez had a goal ruled out for offside in stoppage time. In the Round of 32, they edged Ghana 1-0 thanks to Jhon Arias' 14th-minute strike. The Cafeteros have been rock-solid at the back – three consecutive clean sheets and just one goal conceded all tournament, that in their opening 3-1 win over Uzbekistan. A win would send Colombia to only their second quarterfinal in history, the first coming in 2014. Head-to-head, the sides have met four times, with one win each and two draws. Their only official meeting came at the 1994 World Cup, where Colombia won 2-0.